


don't forget about me

by IrishBella



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU -Canon AU-Canon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-21 06:18:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11938098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrishBella/pseuds/IrishBella
Summary: Regina is sucked into a vortex that sends her to a parallel universe. She lives life as AU Regina, who is married to Emma Swan, and they have a family together. She sees what life could have been like if she had grown up with a support system of family and friends.AU Regina lives Regina's cursed life while having memories of what it's like to be loved and supported.Two universes collide and no one knows what kind of trouble it will cause.





	1. Swapping Reginas

**Author's Note:**

> This has been in my head for months and I'm so glad I get to share it with all of you!
> 
> Shoutout to my amazing cheerleader, GabeL for helping me through plot holes and writer's block-at all hours of the day. She's the best!!! <3
> 
> Oh my gosh! @curiouslycurious did absolutely amazing work with the fanart for this fic. You can check it out [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11938056)  
> I am blown away. Thank you so much!!  
> And major thanks to the mods who've worked so hard to make sure everything goes smoothly. Thank you so much for creating this event and allowing me to be a part of it!
> 
> I do not own these characters and all mistakes are my own.

Regina blinks and she’s sitting in her car. _When did I get here? I was just yelling at Emma for her incompetence...and now I’m...here...Where is here?_ She steps out of the car-which she quickly realizes is not her Mercedes-and tries to figure out where she is. _Nothing looks familiar,_ she thinks and she turns in a circle to survey her surroundings. She’s in a driveway and decides to move toward the house, feeling a sense of security surrounding it.

The sun is starting to set and she’s not sure if she wants to be outside when it gets dark. She’s traveled to other realms before and has made the mistake of being outside in the dark without magic only once.

She reaches for her magic but can’t grab it, _great, another land without magic_ she thinks with an internal eye roll. She looks down at herself and finds that she’s in jeans and a casual t-shirt, _well, this isn’t my normal attire._

She’s still in the driveway when she hears, “Mommy!” and sees a young boy running through the doorway. _Henry?!_ He jumps down the steps in his socks and runs toward her at full speed. _Why is Henry here? Why is he so young?_ He looks about five our six here, and her stomach sinks as she realizes she’s not in another realm, she’s in an alternative reality. _Uh-oh._

Regina doesn’t focus on the trouble she might cause by being in another reality; she’s just relieved when Henry jumps into her arms. He hasn’t jumped at her like this in years. So, she picks him up and spins in a circle, eliciting a giggle from Henry as he wraps his legs around her waist.

“Hello dear,” Regina says as she looks at him and brushes his shaggy hair out of his face.

“Hi Mommy!” he says with excitement as he rests his head against her shoulder.

She rubs his back and starts to move up the steps and into the house. She knows he could definitely be walking by himself but her Henry hasn’t done this in years and she won’t miss an opportunity to hold him like this.

When she was taken from her reality, they were in an argument. Over Emma of all things.

She chooses not to focus on that, but instead tries to figure out where she is. If she knows, she can figure out how to get back home. She walks in through the screendoor and something tells her this is her house. _Maybe it’s the other Regina’s sense of safety_. She notices the openness and minimal furnishing immediately. This is the kind of place Young Regina would have loved. A small home for her family with no responsibilities of the court. She gets caught up in the moment, holding her son in her arms and seeing their simple home. Her heart aches at how perfect this feels.

“MOMMY!!” The squeal startles Regina. She jumps and turns to see a little girl with dark brown curls running at her. “Isa-turn! Isa-turn!”

Regina is frozen until the toddler lunges at her legs. She quickly braces herself so she and Henry don’t topple over and places her free hand on the little girl’s back so she doesn’t fall either.

Henry starts giggling and says, “No, Isa. It’s _my_ turn!” He quickly wraps his arms tightly around Regina’s neck and rests his head on her shoulder once more.

“They’ve been fighting all day,” a voice calls from the other room.

The little girl grabs Regina’s hand and pulls her into the kitchen where she finds August. “Hey Gi,” he greets with a smile. He pauses, “Rough day? You look like you’ve aged 10 years today.” He stares a moment longer before shrugging and turns back to unloading the dishwasher.

She pauses to wonder why he is here, in her house, and calling her that dreadful nickname. _How old is this Regina?_ She wonders as she tries to catch her reflection in the mirror. Her complexion has always been youthful, so she wonders if she is really that different than this reality’s Regina. _That’s probable since she didn’t have to deal with growing up to be queen and the stress of being married young._ She thinks about being married and notices the beautiful, elegant ring on her finger. _Daniel?_ It’s beautiful in its simplicity. A gold band with a classic ring, timeless really; with another simple gold band wedding ring.

She doesn’t dare to hope what might be, what could be. Thankfully, she can’t ponder the unknown for too long because her attention is drawn back to the little girl. “MOMMY!” she whines and stomps her foot.

“Oh Miss Isa! Isa, Isa, Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee-sah!” August quickly picks her up and spins her in a circle. “Can you tell your mommy what you had for dinner?”

“No.” She crosses her arms and scowls.

Regina can’t help the chuckle that leaves her mouth. Henry looked just like that when he was that age. Other than their complexion, they could pass for twins. _Am I really so lucky to have_ **_two_ ** _children in this life?_ Regina feels her heart constrict. _Can it really be? She called me Mommy; does that mean she’s mine?_

 _Well,_ **_this_ ** _Regina’s_...

She realizes she’s thinking too much and refocuses on the children in front of her; Henry in her arms, and the little girl- _Isa_ -in front of her.

Henry pulls away from Regina’s shoulder to poke Regina’s necklace, “We had noodles and bananas!”

Regina smiles and looks at the little girl in August’s arms. Her eyes are narrowed at Henry and she sticks out her tongue. She chuckles and Isa looks up at her, “Mommy!” she whines again.

August smiles at Regina and says, “Hen, let’s race to the tree outside.” Henry looks unsure until August says, “I’m gonna beat you,” as he sets Isa down on the floor.

Henry quickly shimmies out of Regina’s arms and as soon as he feet are on the ground, he takes off running out the door, squealing all the way.

Regina smiles as she watches Henry chase after August. Her smile fades and she looks nervously at the little girl in front of her. Isa reaches out and grabs her finger, pulling her down to her level. Regina squats down and stares eye-level at this little girl. Her nerves increase as Isa’s lips push into a pout. _I know nothing about her. What if she asks me something I don’t know?_ Regina worries her lip until Isa wraps her arms around Regina’s neck and squeezes tight. She sighs in relief, _this, I can handle._ She wraps her arms around Isa- _her daughter_ -and exhales in relief. She stands, with Isa in her arms and rubs her back while looking out the window to see August and Henry running around in the yard. She smiles at Henry’s enthusiasm when she hears a quiet, “Nanas.”

“Hmmmm?” she asks as she turns her head to look at the little girl in her arms.

“Me ‘n Henny had nanas for din-din.”

“That sounds yummy,” Regina says with a smile. She falls easily into this role. The role of a mother. Listening intently to a toddlers reenactment of their day. She used to listen to Henry tell her the same story over and over just because she wanted to hear him talk to her. She knows instantly that she will listen to Isa tell her anything for the same reason.

Isa smiles at Regina and then points toward the door, “Outside, Mommy!”

Regina chuckles but follows the command and walks out the door. She sees a patio swing on the porch and sits down, rocking gently with Isa on her lap.

The sun is lower than the trees and everything is tinged in pink as the sun sinks lower in the sky. Isa leans back and rests against Regina’s chest as they slowly rock back and forth. Henry and August run across the lawn, Henry’s giggles fill the quiet air.

Regina looks around. As far as she can see, there aren’t any neighbors around. The land is flat and goes on for miles; she can see a barn to her left, maybe 100 yards behind the garage. She can see horses grazing and her heart stutters when she thinks about riding again. It’s been so long since she’s ridden; she wonders if this version of her rides like she used to in the Enchanted Forest or if something terrible happened to this Regina here too.

 _Who is Henry and Isa’s father?_ The thought creeps into Regina’s mind without permission. Are they biologically hers in this reality? Henry looks exactly the same as in her reality, but that doesn’t mean he’s adopted here too. _Is Daniel here?_ The thoughts keep coming, wiggling their way into Regina’s head and taking root.

She’s drawn from her thoughts when August walks up the steps, holding Henry’s ankles as he dangles upside-down. Her eyes grow wide and August chuckles before setting Henry down right-side-up, “Your lesser half is upstairs sleeping.” Regina’s eyes grow wide in confusion, _lesser half? What does that mean? Who is he talking about?_ August continues on, oblivious to Regina’s confusion. “She called me earlier and asked me to stop over. When i got here, she wasn’t looking so good. So, Mom made some food and had Em go upstairs to rest.” Regina gives him another confused look, _she? Mom? Em? Who are these people?_ He only shrugs, “Hey, she’s _your_ wife. I’m just the dopey brother that gets your kids hyped on sugar, then leaves. Anyways, leftovers are in the fridge. Oh!” he takes a step away from Regina and toward the steps before he stops like he forgot something, “I let your kids eat a sleeve of cookies after dinner. Okay-gotta go-bye!” He practically jumps over the steps and around the corner house, attempting to avoid Regina’s wrath about all that sugar.

“August!” she calls sternly. After she calls, she internally cringed, hoping his name is the same in this reality. He turns around with a grin on his face that quickly turns sheepish as he waits for her to continue. Her eyes narrow in jest before asking, “You’re not staying?” She doesn’t know why she said that, but something tells her it’s the right thing to ask. She didn’t even think about saying it, it just happened. _Must be this Regina’s subconscious._

“Can’t tonight, Gi. I’ve got a hot date,” he says with a smirk.

“Eeeeeeewwwwww,” Henry calls to his uncle. “Auggie has a _girlfriend_ ,” he taunts. “Gross! Girls have cooties! _BLECK!_ ” His eyes grow wide before he asks, “Are you going to get her cooties?!”

August chuckles, “We’ll see, Little Man. Maybe if I’m lucky.”

Regina glares as August musses Henry’s hair. The glare quickly turns affectionate without her permission. She tries to cover it up by saying, “Say goodbye to Auggie,” as she looks at the kids in front of her.

“Bye Uncle Auggie!!” Henry screams as he lunges at his uncle.

“Bye Little Man!!” August says back as he wraps Henry in a big hug.

When Henry is back on the ground, August turns to his niece and notices her thumb in her mouth, “She didn’t nap very long today, so I’m sure she’s tired.”

Regina nods her head and asks Isa, “Can you say goodbye to your uncle?”

Isa pulls her thumb out of her mouth before reaching both hands toward August. He grabs her arms and throws her in the air, causing her to giggle and Regina to gasp. August brings Isa back - _safely_ \- into his arms and chuckles at Regina’s face. “Your mommy will never get used to us playing, will she?”

Isa giggles again and shakes her head.

“I don’t blame her,” a voice says, turning everyone’s attention toward the door where Emma leans against the doorjamb.

“She’s ALIVE!” August yells and chuckles. He turns to see Regina staring at Emma in shock, “Alright, snap out of it Gi,” he says getting her attention, “the kids are present. Keep in PG.” Regina looks away from Emma and toward August as he chuckles. He turns back to his sister and says, “Your better half has arrived.” He gives a dramatic sweep with his free hand to show Regina on the swing. He’s, once again, oblivious to Regina’s shock and confusion, “So, I’m off to woo my lady tonight.”

“Ewwwwwwwwwwwww,” Henry screams as he runs in a circle around August.

Emma scrunches her nose and says, “Agreed,  _Auggie._ ”

“Keep calling me that and I’ll tell you _everything_ later, _Emmers_ ,” he warns with a smirk.

Emma chuckles, “Bring it, Bro.” _Bro?_ Regina’s not sure what causes it, but she calls out to them both.

“Children,” she warns with an eyebrow raised.

“Right. I’m leaving, Gi,” August says with a smirk. He sets Isa back on Regina’s lap and kisses Regina’s cheek before standing up and wrapping Emma in a big bear hug. When he releases her, he smiles, “Let me know if you guys need anything. Otherwise, I’ll see you guys at brunch tomorrow?”

Emma nods, “We’ll be there. We’re picking Granny up at 10.”

August chuckles, “I heard you picked the short straw when Ruby said she wanted out of it.”

Emma shakes her head, “It sucks being the youngest.” _Youngest? How the hell does this realm work?_

“Awwww!” August croons, “but we both love our baby sister so much!” He pulls her into a side hug. **_Our_ ** _baby sister? So, in this reality Emma, Ruby, and August are siblings? Who are their parents? Is Granny their real grandmother?_ Regina finds herself with more questions than answers, and that frustrates her to no end.

Emma pushes him aside, “Yeah sure. Now get out of here before you get these kids all jacked up.”

“Too late, Em. I let them eat all the cookies I brought over.” he chuckles and hugs Henry one more time and pokes Isa’s belly, causing a giggle to escape and the thumb in her mouth to move sideways with the smile that breaks across her face. “See you tomorrow,” he calls as he walks to his car and then drives away.

“Mama!” Henry says, pulling Regina’s attention from Emma to her son. He jumps in front of Emma and asks, “movie night?”

Emma chuckles, “Yeah bud. Let’s have a movie night.”

They all migrate into the house. The door to the porch is finally shut as the air begins to grow cold. Regina is sent into the kitchen to make popcorn while Henry and Isa find a movie. She hears Emma tell them to pick up their toys so they can watch from the floor and Regina can’t help the chuckle that leaves her lips, _this must be a normal activity here._ She thinks some more about this reality and finds herself asking more questions. _What_ **_is_ ** _this reality? It’s much different than Storybrooke. Emma, Ruby, and August are siblings; Emma and I are a couple; we have children...together. What is going on in this reality?_

When she was plucked from Storybrooke; she was on her way into the Sheriff’s station, ready to put all of her anger frustration on Emma for her lack of paperwork and lack of punctuality. She was overdue on police reports by over a month. Again. Regina had been walking into the Sheriff’s station when everything went black and then she opened her eyes to find herself in her car in another dimension.

Her phone vibrates, causing her to startle. She pulls it from her pocket and sees a text: _Don’t forget about our meeting at 11._ Regina doesn't know what this means but she gives an internal shrug and scrolls up to read the earlier messages. She realizes she’s that she’s texting with the Zelena of this realm. _At least we’re still sisters_ she thinks as she reads the other messages.

Zelena had asked, _How’s everything?_

 _Good! Paperwork should be good to go for tomorrow and I’m already done with everything you need for next week. I think Emma wants to watch_ **_The Book of Life_ ** _with the kids tonight._

 _Aww! They’ll love it. Roland and Olivia loved it when we watched it. They asked about Lito everyday for a week._ Regina can’t help but wonder who Lito is here.

_Fantastic. I’m curious, though, as to who is more excited for this, Emma or the kids._

_Your wife, for sure ;) Send my love. Hugs and kisses from Auntie Z. And tell Emma to hold it together until this weekend!!_

_I’ll pass that on. Tell my niece and nephew I can’t wait to see them._

There is a break between the texts. The most recent reminder sent a few hours after their previous conversation ended.

Regina realizes that Zelena is probably waiting for a response to her reminder, so she types out, _Of course. Talk tomorrow._ She places her phone back on the counter and tries to figure out what the hell is going on in this realm.

She feels arms wrap around her waist and she does her best not to seem too shocked. She brushes off the fact that she jumped, again. She feels Emma laughing against her shoulder blades. “Jumpy,” she murmurs with a smile. “I missed you today,” she mumbles against Regina’s back.

Regina hopes that what she’s feeling is leftover from the Regina that lives in this reality. She doesn’t think she’d feel this safe if her reality’s Emma ever wrapped her in her arms like this. _Nope, because that would be ridiculous._

She does not want to be caught confused again. So, she pats Emma’s hands before moving them away from her and pouring the popcorn into three bowls.

“Are you okay?”

The question startles Regina but she tries her best not to show it. “Of course. I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Why would you ask that?”

“Probably because you’re not fine. But whatever, keep telling yourself that, Gi.” Emma shrugs it off, but Regina can tell she thinks something is wrong.

 _Ugh this Regina and her damn conscience._ “I’m okay, Emma. Really,” she says softly, looking at Emma. She grabs the two bowls for Henry and Isa with two water cups and Emma grabs their bowl and two other water cups. She forces a smile as she turns around to look at Emma. she sees the exhaustion and discomfort on her face, “How are _you_ feeling? August said you weren’t feeling well,” she says as she studies Emma.

Emma shrugs, “Better. I was just having some cramping; doc says it’s normal and Mom said she had the same thing when she was pregnant with me. Said it was something about the third baby. I was just really tired and I called August. I think I just needed some sleep.”

Regina nods and regards Emma some more, “Why don’t you just go and get some more sleep? I’ll make sure the kids get upstairs tonight.” she’s not sure if she really wants Emma to go upstairs so she can figure out what’s going on in this realm or if she wants her to stay so she can run interference if the kids ask any questions only this realm’s Regina would know.

“No way. We’ve been talking about watching _The Book of Life_ with them all week. We wanted to show them characters that look like them-well, at least like you and Isa. They’ve been asking about your dad all day, wondering what he was like and if he spoke Spanish. I am _definitely_ watching this movie.”

Regina nods, _What?_ “Okay. You’re _sure_ you’re okay?”

Emma sighs but smiles, “Yes, I’m _sure_. And now this baby is squeezing my bladder. I’ll be out in a minute. Can you get all this stuff?” she asks looking at the cups and bowls on the counter.

“Yes, not everyone needs to carry everything in one load,” she deadpans. _This Emma and her Emma aren’t that different._ ** _Storybrooke_** _Emma. Not_ ** _my_** _Emma,_ she corrects in her mind.

Emma’s scoff pulls Regina from her thoughts, “Two trips would be ridiculous.”

Regina shakes her head but can’t keep the smile off her face, “Go. I’ve got this.” _That was definitely from this realm’s Regina. Nothing Storybrooke Emma does is endearing. Nothing._

She makes sure Henry and Isa are comfortable lying on their pillows on the floor before sitting on the couch. She looks around but Emma still isn’t back yet. She relaxes back against the couch when she sees the bathroom door shut and the light still shining at the bottom. _I guess I should spend this time trying to figure out how this realm works._ She starts looking around the room but is quickly distracted by the movie.

When Emma returns, she sits next to Regina and curls up, laying the bowl of popcorn on Regina’s lap. Regina is frozen, but feels her body move without her permission and wrap an arm around Emma’s back. _Must be this Regina’s subconscious that keeps taking over_ Regina thinks as Emma snuggles further into her side. They watch the movie and when the credits roll, Regina reaches for the remote to turn the sound down. She carefully untangles herself from Emma’s limbs. She looks at the way Emma is sleeping on the couch, _nothing endearing. Nothing._

She sighs but brushes Emma’s hair to the side of her face and lays a blanket over her before picking Henry up and carrying him upstairs. Thankfully, she is able to find his room quickly and lays him down, covering him with his blankets before turning on his nightlight and carefully closing the door behind her. She takes a deep breath and moves back down the stairs to bring Isa up to her room, making sure she’s turned on the nightlight - which was harder than she expected - and closes the door behind her.

Regina heads into the master bedroom to look around before Emma wakes up. She notices a baby monitor and smiles at the sight of Isa - _her daughter_ \- sleeping soundly. She looks around the room and feels her heart leap knowing that at least _one_ Regina has found happiness it it’s most basic form. Even if that simple life includes Emma Swan. _I still can’t wrap my head around that. What is going on with this reality? No. focus. Find out what you can,_ she tells herself as she looks around. Regina can tell that this realm’s Regina leads the simple life; work boots on the porch, the minimalistic set up, the picture frames around this room and the entire house; she can’t keep the smile off her face.

“Where’d you go?” she hears behind her. She jumps and turns to see Emma leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed, studying her.

“Pardon?” she asks.

Emma smiles but it’s not happiness that shines in her eyes, “Gi, you’ve been weird since you got home. What’s going on?”

“Nothing, I just-” Emma scoffs and Regina’s eyes blow wide in surprise, “What?” she asks, upset that Emma would blow her off like that.

“We’ve known each other for a long time, Gi. We don’t lie to each other. And _you_ ,” she pauses to raise an eyebrow, “were about to lie.”

Regina rolls her eyes; only Emma would have the gall to talk to her that way-at least in her reality. She sighs and looks down at the floor before quietly saying, “Everything’s a bit...jumbled. I’m just trying to get my feet on the ground...and remember.”

She can see Emma’s eyes soften and she smiles as she moves to grab both of Regina’s hands. “Why didn’t you just say so? We’re allowed to have off days, Gi. The doctor said this could happen after you hit your head. I figured that’s what happened this morning, but the kids were waking up. It’s not like I’m in any condition to chase after you anyways,” she points at her bulging belly. “Come on, let’s go sit on the swing and talk.” She can see Regina about to protest but she says, “We have a monitor downstairs for both rooms, they’ll be fine.”

They get settled on the porch and Emma wraps Regina’s right hand within both of hers, smiling softly as she looks out at the moon high in the sky.

“Where do you want to start?”

“At the beginning?” Regina asks as she turns to study Emma.

Emma chuckles, “That’s a tall order, but we’ll try it. So, we’ve known each other-”

“Forever?” Regina finishes, confident that this is the correct answer.

“Pretty much,” Emma says with a smile. “We met in school. You were in August’s class, but you and Ruby were always close because you volunteered together at the elementary school. You and Ruby helped the kids with reading and you organized the monthly “outings” each class took at the school. Each week a different group of kids would go on a “field trip”. One class would be making cards for senior citizens, another was cooking for the local soup kitchen-”

“With Granny?” Regina asks with a small smile as she imagines Granny helping a group of kids cook for others.

Emma smiles too and says, “Yeah. Each class was different, but the one I’m remembering is-”

“The one at the stable?” Regina finishes as she feels some possible memories tugging at the back of her mind.

Emma chuckles, “If you remember all of it, why am I saying all of this?”

Regina looks worried, “I’m-”

“Kidding babe, I know. I was joking. Now, you wanna hear the best part?”

“Of course,” Regina says with a tentative smile as she watches Emma become enthralled in her own story.

“Great. So, one of the last weeks of the year had a class take a trip to the stables; your stables. Well, your parents’ stables, and the school needed more volunteers. So, Ruby roped Gus and I into volunteering too. Mom, Dad, and Granny also got suckered into helping. We all listened to you explain how to brush the horses and then each of the kids paired up with a volunteer and we went to work brushing each of the horses. Of course, I got the kid who was absolutely terrified of horses.”

“What a pair you must have been, considering you feel the same way,” Regina says as she chuckles.

“You laugh now, Gi. But at the time, you didn’t know I was afraid. I was just Ruby’s little sister. But before we get into _my_ fear, we need to focus on the fact that you paired me with a horse named Daredevil. _DAREDEVIL!_ Gi. You put me with a horse that has a name meaning reckless and daring!”

Regina shakes her head. She knew the answer to this one, “Daredevil did not get his name because he was reckless; maybe he was a spunky colt, but he was never reckless. His name is Daredevil because of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. He has an all black coat, just like the Headless Horseman’s horse. I must have put you with him because I knew he wouldn’t spook, even if you both were scared.” She can’t remember what she’s saying, but she knows The Legend of Sleepy Hollow from her world and the stables in Storybrooke had a horse like that when she first cast the curse. She remembers hearing the reason behind the name and went straight home to read all about it.

“Well, I didn’t know that! I just knew he was big, _really big_ and I saw you and another kid - who looked like they knew what they were doing _by the way -_ and you guys had a little horse, Arion.”

“Oh no,” Regina gasps.

“Oh yes!” Emma counters.

Regina can’t help the laugh that escapes, “We switched horses,” she says knowingly.

“Yup. You didn’t want to _start a fight,_ ” she adds with finger quotes, “in front of the kids so you helped your girl onto a stool in with Daredevil and stayed in the aisle watching everybody.”

Regina controls her laughter to some mild chuckles and says, “He ran didn’t he.”

Emma shakes her head, “Worse. He unlatched the stall door and waited until I was holding on to his bridle; and _then_ he took off.” Regina looks at Emma with wide eyes. “Don’t worry. You came to my rescue and saved the day. I was hanging on for dear life, trying not to get trampled and you came riding Daredevil - without a saddle - and grabbed onto Arion’s lead. He stopped and you helped me get my hand out from being stuck. Then you walked us back to the stable and wrapped up the cut on my hand before anyone saw we were back.”

Emma lifts up a palm and Regina reaches out to trace the small scar that crosses three of her knuckles and stretches across her palm. Emma rests her head on Regina’s shoulder, causing Regina to tense up. Emma pretends not to notice, “We may have met then but we didn’t start dating until I was in college. You were just finishing grad school when I was finishing my undergrad. We both came back here for the summer and we started hanging out more, which turned into dating. We were friends after the whole stable incident, but like I said, you and Ruby were really close - she was only a year behind you in school, and I was the twerpy little sister. Ruby was actually one of the main reasons we didn’t hang out too much. We thought it would be weird for her, but she’s the one who told us to go for it. And we’ve been together ever since.”

Regina smiles and squeezes Emma’s hand. She wants to hear all of these happy stories. “Tell me more,” she says quietly.

Emma squeezes back, “Alright. I guess next I proposed out at your parents’ farm. Actually, Daredevil carried the rings for me. When we started dating, I got pretty used to the old guy.”

“And isn’t he the sweetest horse?” she prods with a smile.

“Yeah, yeah, Gi. He’s the greatest...even if he’s the size of an elephant. Anyway, we went for a picnic and I proposed by the pond you almost had to dig me out of when Arion took off. Who knew he’d be so fast?”

“Everyone,” Regina says with a laugh. “Arion is the name of an immortal horse that was divinely-bred and was known for being extremely fast.”

Emma groans, “You should start by explaining the horse’s name and _why_ they have it instead of throwing everyone to the wolves, ya big nerd. But...we’ve had this conversation forever, so, moving on; I proposed and you said yes. We planned the wedding, got married and spent a year in the city while I finished my degree and worked the beat. When Dad decided to retire, we were able to move back here and start our family.”

Regina stops fighting everything she’s feeling and allows them to take over. She closes her eyes as her heart soars and she rests her head against Emma’s, which is still on her shoulder. Emma links her fingers through Regina’s and snickers, “Dad never wanted me to be a cop. Hell, he always told us to go out and do better than him. He never went to college and wanted all of us kids to do better than what he chose. Gus went on to be a writer, Ruby works the diner with Granny and is starting to take over running the place, and I went on to get my degree in Criminal Justice and become a cop.” She laughs again, “and we’re all here in the same town.”

“He’s proud of you, you know,” Regina whispers into the night. She doesn’t know this David, but she knows the one from her reality and that’s enough for her to be sure this statement is true.

“I know,” Emma says as she squeezes Regina’s hand again. “What else...um, you run your dad’s charity organization from here while your sister runs the family law firm. She lives in the city with her husband and two kids. They’re planning a trip to visit this weekend and then again after the baby is born. When I talked to Z this morning, she told me the whole office is in on some baby pool, guessing on when they’ll be born and what we’ll have. She told me to hold off until this weekend and to make sure it’s a girl.”

Regina rolls her eyes affectionately, “Of course she did.” She opens her eyes to see Emma rubbing her stomach and staring out into the darkness. “What are you thinking?” she whispers.

“What if we’re not ready?” When Regina just looks at her in confusion, she continues, “What if this baby came right now, would we be ready? What if we’re not ready?”

Regina’s not sure how to respond. She has no idea what to tell pregnant Emma. She’s never done this before. This reality’s Regina has been through this. She’s the one that knows how to comfort Emma and tell her it will all be okay. Regina’s doesn’t have a lot of practice comforting Emma Swan. Ask her for snark and sass, she’s got it; but comfort? She feels very uncomfortable.

It’s a good thing Emma seems to be in her own mind at the moment and doesn’t expect a response. “I’m scared, Gi,” she whispers after a few minutes of silence. She sits up and wipes at her tears, “I can’t do this alone. I know you’re _technically_ here, but it’s not you, you know?” She starts to ramble, “I know you’re physically here, but your mind isn’t. Your soul isn’t. It’s scary going into this without _you_ you. I need you back. I know your brain is all wonky right now, but come back to me.” She grabs Regina’s hand and looks into her eyes, “Don’t forget about me. Don’t forget about _us_. Come back.” She watches Regina’s eyes, waiting for some sign that her speech worked. That somehow, Regina’s “memories” came flooding back to her.

That didn’t happen.

Emma’s searching for something in Regina’s eyes. The look in her eyes made Regina feel self-conscious, but she couldn’t look away. She’s been close to Emma Swan before. They’ve never had an issue about getting in each other’s space; but this was different. Regina had never looked at Emma basked in the moonlight. Her green eyes sparkled like the stars; her blonde hair started to fall out of the bun she’d been sporting all night; Regina could even make out the faintest of freckles across her nose. She watched Emma’s gaze dip lower than her eyes. She couldn’t stop her; she didn’t think she wanted to stop her.

She _should_ stop her. That’s what friends do. Friends don’t let friends kiss them. But, they’re not friends in this reality. They’re married. It’s not _Regina_ that wants to kiss Emma. It’s this reality’s Regina that wants to kiss Emma. That’s okay...right?

Regina tucks her chin and looks down at her lap. Everything’s getting too intense. She can’t let Emma kiss her. It’s wrong on every level. She’s not _her_ Regina. And this Emma is not _her_ Emma. _Storybrooke’s Emma_ Regina corrects in her mind. It’s not fair to this Emma. It’s not fair to this Regina.

It’s just not fair.

A finger sneaks under her chin and pulls her eyes up to meet piercing eyes, twinkling like emeralds. Their color brings hope and light no matter what has happened. Looking into those eyes, Regina believed them.

Emma studies Regina for another moment before closing the gap between them. It was soft, gentle; a kind of kiss that is exploratory and questioning, not hungry and powerful. She responded immediately, surprising herself. Emma’s mouth was warm, her lips caressed Regina’s, softer than she ever imagined. Emma reached tentatively with her tongue and Regina opened her mouth with a low moan.

Immediately, Emma pushes away from Regina’s lips. “I’m sorry,” she says in a strangled voice, “that wasn’t right.”

Regina looks at the ground, afraid she did something wrong; guilt builds inside of her _I shouldn’t have done that_. She wasn’t quite sure how to react, to the kiss or Emma’s sudden regret.

Emma puts a hand on Regina’s neck and brings their foreheads together. She takes a deep breath and Regina can feel her breath ghost across her cheek. “That’s not fair to you. You told me you were trying to find your feet and I just pulled the rug from under you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

“Emma-” Regina whispers, not sure what to say.

“I shouldn’t have pushed you. I got carried away. You look like you, but you’re not. At least not right now. It’s kinda weird, right? Like, I’m not the only one that finds it weird, am I? I mean, you _look_ like my Regina, but you-”

Regina puts a finger over Emma’s lips, “You talk too much.”

Emma smiles sheepishly, “You tell me that a lot.”

It’s Regina’s turn to search for something. She’s not sure what she’s looking for, but she studies Emma’s face for a moment.

She doesn’t have a chance to say anything because Emma whispers, “I just want your memories back, Gi.” Emma kisses the corner of her mouth, just far enough to cause Regina to groan. Emma smiles and rests her forehead against Regina’s again.

The problem wasn’t Regina’s memories. The problem was that she was an entirely different Regina. Her memories were fine. They were just of another life.

Emma opens her eyes and looks expectantly at Regina. When all she does is shrug apologetically, Emma breaks down into tears. Lowering her head over their clasped hands, she lets her tears of frustration and fear fall.

“Hey,” Regina awkwardly pats Emma’s back. She’s never been good at offering condolences or hope speeches-that was Snow’s thing. Only Henry has received any real support from Regina. But she does her best to support the Emma of this reality, “It’s going to be fine. There are two wonderful kids inside, there’s a ton of family support here. You’re ready.” She pauses and when Emma just looks up at her she adds, “We’re ready.” Emma falls into her arms and is hugging her. Regina doesn’t know what to do so she awkwardly pats her back again until she allows this realm’s Regina’s feelings to take over again.

Emma hugs Regina tighter and smiles through her tears, “Ugh, these pregnancy hormones are crazy this time. No wonder your sister thinks we’re having a girl.”

Regina wipes away Emma’s tears and smiles at her, “We’re ready,” she repeats.

Emma smiles a sad smile lays her head back on Regina’s shoulder while Regina keeps her arms wrapped around Emma. They sit quietly for a moment. “Wanna talk about the kids?” It’s whispered quietly, as if speaking out loud would break apart the night.

“Hmm?” Regina asks as she pulls away from her thoughts and focuses on the blonde in her arms.

“Let’s talk about our kids because they’re the greatest.”

Regina laughs, “Of course they are.” She finally has control over her own actions again, yet finds herself unable to move away. So, she takes a calming breath and waits for Emma to start talking again.

“Do you remember anything?” Emma asks quietly.

Regina shakes her head, disappointed. She wished she remembered. This looks like the happiest life.

Emma shifts a little on the swing and beings, “Okay. We had been talking about having kids, but we wanted to make sure we were both in established careers before we made any decisions. When we moved back here, we knew we were ready. You were running your father’s charity and taking care of the financial books for his main office in New York. Z was finishing law school and you were helping out as much as you could. You were also helping the stable in town maintain their booking. I was hired full-time at the sheriff’s department and we started looking into options. We decided IVF was best for us and both had some eggs removed so we had the best chances of getting pregnant. We found a sperm donor and fertilized-”

“But I can’t have children,” Regina said, not realizing she actually spoke aloud.

“What?” Emma asks as she turns to look Regina in the eye. “In case you didn’t notice, our little girl in there?” She points to the door, “she’s you. Without a doubt, she’s yours. Her complexion, her eyes, her _attitude_ ,” she adds with a smirk, “all you. Those are your genes, Gi.”

“She looks just like Henry when he was that age, except with more hair,” Regina says with a smile.

“You remember Henry?” Emma asks, perking up as she’s distracted from her story.

Regina panics, “Some,” she offers. When nothing else is said, Regina looks to see sadness in Emma’s eyes but before she can say anything, the look is gone and Emma is staring out at the moon.

“They’re ours. Unequivocally ours,” Emma says quietly as she watches the moon. “We were lucky. IVF worked our first time and Henry Daniel came into our lives. Named after your father and your older brother.”

“What?” _Daniel was my brother in this realm? Well, that’s a plot twist I did not anticipate._

“Um, your dad’s name was Henry and your older brother’s name was Daniel?” Emma watches Regina process this information. She wondered what was so shocking about this news for her brunette wife. She merely squeezes Regina’s hand and continues with her story. “He wasn’t around a lot because he was a military bigwig in D.C. but he loved you and Z more than anything. You told me how important he was to you, especially when your mom got sick. He was your rock; you and Z were a lot younger than him and he was already done with his tour during the Gulf War when your mom died. He even moved back home when your dad got sick so you wouldn’t have to be put in foster care for your last two years of high school. I met him for the first time at your dad’s funeral, and a few times when we first started dated. It was pretty funny watching him give me the ‘if you break my sister’s heart’ speech. He meant well, even if it embarrassed you for the entire night.”

Emma smirks at Regina and Regina can’t help the warm feeling she gets knowing this Daniel loved her in this realm too. A different kind of love, but still the fiercest she’s ever known.

“We ended up getting to know each other pretty well before the wedding. He was the one who got me the job working as a beat cop in the city. He was called overseas to be a part of a unique task force right after the terrorist attacks. This was right after we told him we were pregnant. He sent us a video message when he landed at the base trying to get us to name the baby Daniel, no matter what; Dani with an “i” for a girl and Danny with a “y” for a boy. Honestly, spelling didn’t really matter to him, he just wanted a little niece or nephew with his name.” Emma released a chuckle and continues, “He was so excited that we were going to have a baby. Henry would have made him an uncle for the first time.”

Regina feels her eyes fill with tears. Even though she doesn’t know this Daniel, and this reality has a VERY different relationship between them than what she knows, she can’t help but feel the loss of Daniel sink into her stomach. She’s never quite worked passed those feelings yet. She cannot imagine what it would be like for this Regina to lose her mother, her father, and her brother and still be able to function. She thinks about how heartbroken she was when she lost Daniel. _I don’t know how this Regina does it._

Emma takes a deep breath and continues in a monotone voice, “He was a part of a specialized team in Afghanistan, surrounded with a highly trained team of other marines. They were sent in to extract nine hostages, three journalists, four tourists, and two prisoners of war. Five of the hostages were extracted without incident, but when they went to get the next hostage, all hell broke loose. We don’t know exactly what happened but Daniel called for the team to head out because it was no longer safe. One of his marines didn’t come out with the group. Daniel went to find him and they were ambushed. Only two of the marines and five hostages survived. They were already in the helicopter and were able to get away to safety. His captain and one of the survivors, Victor Whale, came to our house to tell us what happened. Daniel’s buried in Arlington with full honors. The marines that survived still keep in contact. Victor’s actually getting married in a month and we’re going to be there; he thinks of you as his little sister. He’s known you a long time. He and Daniel graduated from USMC Boot Camp together and were both on the extraction team. Both of the POWs stay in contact, mostly by email, but they’ve made it up here to Storybrooke a few times since Daniel’s death. It’s hard for them, but they check in for our sake. Same with the journalists, they stay in contact through email. One of the survivors - we’re not sure which one - sends cards and gifts to the kids on Christmas and signs them ‘Uncle Dan’ every year. They also call or visit on the day they were rescued.”

Emma looks up at Regina and reaches to wipe a tear from her cheek. “We’re very lucky to have such great support, Gi. When Henry was born, every single person I just mentioned reached out to us, sending congratulations. And Henry? He was perfect and hasn’t changed since. When he was two, we decided to try again." Emma falls silent, resting her free hand atop her stomach.

Regina’s eyebrows draw in as she tries to follow this timeline. _If Henry’s 6 and Isa’s a toddler...that’s more than two years_. Her heart sinks as she realizes what’s going to come next. She draws Emma closer; she’s going to need some kind of support for this story. She holds tight as her eyes fill with tears again.

“We...were able to conceive again...eventually. You didn’t want to carry and I didn’t want to push you. So, I was inseminated again but it didn’t take. We were heartbroken because it was so _easy_ with Henry. It just worked. We talked about it some more and you decided to try carrying our baby; and it worked. We were pregnant again,” she says with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “We were so happy. We planned everything out, the hospital bag was packed, the nursery was ready, clothes and diapers were bought; we were ready to welcome our second baby. You were 32 weeks when you said something felt off. I thought you were just worrying but when you started cramping, we called the hospital. Ruby came and stayed with Henry and we went to the ER.” She pauses to regain control of her breathing before continuing. “The doctor called it cervical incompetence and placental abruption.”

Regina’s tears fall freely down her face. She doesn’t even know this child but just hearing the pain in Emma’s voice, Regina feels this loss. She has never carried a child, but she feels something sink inside of her, as if she really had lost the baby herself. She holds tightly to Emma, who holds her back just the same.

When Emma regains control of her voice she continues, “You didn’t have any of the symptoms that sometimes come with placental abruption. There’s usually bleeding or cramping at an earlier stage, but when your cervix dilated, those symptoms weren’t as prominent. You were having Braxton Hicks contractions, so we brushed them off. By the time the doctors knew about this, it was too late.” Emma reaches up to wipe her eyes and clings to Regina. “It was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to go through. You had to be induced and go through the labor. We were in the hospital for two days before labor started. At 4:02 on the third day, Charlotte Elizabeth was brought into this world. We held her and took some pictures; our family came in and saw her before the hospital took her and started the funeral services. We held a small funeral outside your mausoleum. Your parent’s are there and they’re taking good care of our baby girl,” she adds with a sad smile.

Regina can’t control herself. She feels like she just lost this baby and grieves for her loss. This pain feels fresh; she can tell that this reality’s Regina is still struggling with losing their baby.

They sit on the swing, rocking softly as they try to control their emotions. They’re tangled together on the swing, legs intertwined, arms wrapped around the other, heads resting against each other. Regina is lost in her thoughts, grieving a baby she never knew. It felt if _she_ had carried this baby girl. Her body was telling her it happened while her mind knew that was not the case.

“We went through a pretty rough time after that. My parents, Gus, and Ruby were over at least once a day,  bringing food or taking Henry on walks or to the park. You didn’t leave bed for a week and when I finally got you out of bed and into the bathroom, you couldn’t stand on your own. I called Archie because I didn’t know what to do. He came to the house and essentially told us to talk about it...talk about _her_ and grieve. He said no one was expecting anything from us and we could talk about what happened without repercussions. So, we started talking...well, I started talking. You were still spending all your time in bed, and no one was surprised; everyone understood. So, for a few weeks, I sat on our bed and would talk to you about anything and everything that was happening. And then I started bringing Henry in to talk to you and finally, after about a month, you spoke. It was the first time you had said anything since holding Charlotte.”

Emma smiles and kisses Regina’s cheek, “From then, things started looking up. It was a long road, but we started going to counseling. We talked about her, we talked about Henry, we talked about us and our family; we were talking. Then after about a year of counseling and grief support, we started talking about expanding our family again. You told me you couldn’t lose another baby like that; you felt like it would completely destroy you. You didn’t want that to happen because you felt so close to the edge after Charlotte. So, we tried again. It didn’t work the first time, but the second time, we got pregnant. We were so scared, but Isabella Marie came into this world as a fighter, just like her Mommy.”

Regina lets out a chuckle through her tears and thinks about the perfect little girl with dark brown curls sleeping upstairs, _how did this Regina get it so right? She has everything._ Regina’s eyes widen when she realizes; she doesn’t know where this Regina is. Here she is taking up time and space and the other Regina is not here. She feels like she’s cheating this Regina out of precious time with her family. _I need to find a way out of here._

They sit quietly; rocking the swing gently, while Regina tries to figure out how she can get this Regina back to her family.

Emma groans and Regina looks at her, “This baby is practicing their soccer moves.” She resituates and rubs and her back.

“Why don’t we go inside so you can lie down and get some rest,” Regina offers. That will give her some time to snoop around and figure out how to get out of here.

Emma sighs, “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, Gi.” But when she stands up she groans again, “I think we need to leave.”

“Leave?” Regina questions, “Why?”

“I don’t think you want to deliver our baby here on this swing,” Emma snarks as she grabs onto the doorjamb to hold herself steady.

“Oh no,” Regina says as she starts thinking what she should do. _What do I need? What does_ **_Emma_ ** _need? Oh no, I can’t panic now. Breathe. Get it together. You can help Emma do this._

“Gi, call Rubes, she should still be at Granny’s.”

“Okay,” Regina says as she goes inside to find her phone. _Where did I leave it?_ Regina wonders. She’s able to find it and thankfully her fingerprints transcend realms. She quickly finds Ruby’s name in her contacts and calls here.

“Hey Gi! What’s up?” Ruby asks as she cheerily answers the phone.

“I need you to come to the house,” she says as she starts pacing in the kitchen.

“Ugh! Does she need another sandwich and pickle?” Ruby jokes with a laugh.

“No, she’s having the baby,” Regina says frantically.

“Oh OH MY GOD! For real?!” Ruby exclaims, “I’ll be there in two minutes.”

Regina hears a shout and a door slam before the line goes dead. She looks out the kitchen doorway to see Emma standing in the living room holding a bag and the baby monitor.

“You ready?” Emma asks with a smile.

Regina can’t help but laugh, “Are _you_?”

Emma’s smile grows wider, “With you? Always.”

They share a smile, one that Regina intends on forgetting after she leaves this realm and Emma grabs Regina’s hand before moving out to the car. “Do you have everything you need?” Regina asks once Emma is sitting in the passenger seat.

Emma nods and pats the bag on her lap, “I’ve got our bag and I called the doctor when you called Ruby, and I've got you. Now we’re just waiting for Rubes.”

She hasn’t even finished her sentence when headlights shine on them as Ruby turns into the driveway.

She barely has the car shut off before she’s out the door screaming, “I’m here!”

Emma chuckles at her sister while Regina says, “There was no need to drive like a maniac.”

Ruby laughs out loud and throws her arms around Regina, “GI!!! You’re having a BABY, I think the crazy driving is okay!” She leans in closer to Regina and fake whispers, “and between you and me, I know the sheriff. I think she’d let me off with a warning.” Regina rolls her eyes but hugs Ruby back. _Must’ve been this Regina’s instincts. There’s no way I would hug Miss Lucas in my realm._ Ruby pulls away, keeping one arm around Regina’s shoulders and turns to look at Emma in the passenger seat, “And I can’t believe my baby sister is having ANOTHER baby!! I’m so happy for you guys. And if you could push the little monster out before midnight that would be GREAT!” She adds the last sentence quickly and ends with an innocent smile.

“What?” Emma asks her older sister.

“You didn’t think that Zelena only allowed the New York office access to the baby pool, did you? I had today marked for a girl and Gus has tomorrow for a boy and Wednesday for a girl. I think Mom and Dad had Thursday and Friday. Mom says you’re having a girl but Dad’s still holding out for another boy. Then I think Zelena has the weekend for a girl. But enough about that, you have a baby to push out. Tonight,” she reminds with a wink. She releases Regina and reaches into the car to hug her sister. “I love you both _sooooooooo_ much!”

Emma can’t help but laugh, “Love you too, Rubes.”

Ruby stands back up and hugs Regina again. “I’m just so EXCITED for you guys. And remember,” she backs up and points at them. “Tonight. Girl. K BYE!” she squeals as she takes the monitor from Regina and jogs up to the front steps and into the house.

Regina shakes her head before moving to the driver’s side and getting in.

They make it to the hospital and get checked in before being sent to the birthing ward. The hospital staff give Emma an epidural and everything is quiet until the early hours of the morning when the doctor comes in, “It’s time.”

Regina gravitates to Emma’s side and squeezes when Emma grabs onto her hand. It’s a fast process, four pushes and the baby makes their grand entrance.

“Congratulations, you have yourself a healthy baby boy,” the doctor says as the baby is placed on Emma’s chest. Regina and Emma are both crying and staring at the face of this beautiful baby. _He’s beautiful_ Regina thinks before she has a sinking feeling that she’s stealing precious time from this other Regina.

Emma looks up at Regina and smiles, “well, time to tell everyone that William David is here.”

Regina gives a wet chuckle before brushing some hair away from Emma’s face, “I’ll let everyone know.” She watches the baby rest on Emma’s chest before sharing a smile with Emma and walking out the door.

She walks out of the room and down the hall in a daze. _Not only do I have a family here, but I’ve been able to witness the birth of a baby. My baby._ She can’t wrap her head around it. She moves into the waiting room and sees Mary-Margaret and David - _wow they’ve aged differently here_ she thinks. She also sees August, Ruby, Granny, Henry, and Isa.

“MOMMY!” Henry calls when he sees her.

She sighs in relief and picks him up when he runs at her. She spins in a circle with him and squats down to grab Isa when she toddles toward here. She squeezes them both before looking at the others. Everyone is standing up, ready to go. “Well?” Mary-Margaret asks in anticipation.

“Come on,” Regina says with a smile.

“Baby time?” Isa asks.

Regina can’t help but chuckle, “Yes, Isa, it’s baby time.”

“Auggie says we gotta be _reallllly_ quiet,” Henry says in a whisper voice.

“That’s right, the baby is very little and he’ll get scared if he hears yelling,” Regina says as she leads the way back to the room.

“He?!” Mary-Margaret and David ask.

Regina steps inside the room and watches everyone move around the bed to see Emma. “Hey guys,” Emma whispers, “Meet William David.”

“Awwww,” everyone coos.

“He’s beautiful,” Mary-Margaret whispers. “David hmmm?” she asks with a smirk.

Emma shrugs, “Regina and I planned it. Henry is named after her dad and brother, Isa’s got Marie for you and now Wim has David for Dad.”

“Wim?” Ruby asks, “Oh, I love it already.” Emma offers the sleeping baby to her sister and Ruby coos as she wraps him in her arms, “He’s precious! Oh, little man, you are going to be so spoiled by your Auntie.”

“Well, this is one way to get out of taking Granny to brunch, Ems,” August says with a chuckle.

“I’ll allow it,” Granny says as she walks in with a baby blanket. “Sorry I couldn’t get her sooner, Loves, but I had to finish your baby’s blanket.”

“Blue?” Emma asks, “How did you know?”

“A grandma always knows, Child,” she says with a smirk.

Ruby scoffs, “she finished the pink one last week.”

Emma and Regina both chuckle and watch their family fawn over their newest addition.

“Baby!” Isa squeals. After a few reminds to “hush” August takes Henry from Regina’s arms and they place both kids next to Ruby on the couch to see their new brother. “Auntie! Lemme see!” Isa says as she stands on the couch and leans against Ruby’s shoulder.

Regina and Emma share a smile and suddenly, Regina’s in a black room. _What the hell?_


	2. In Storybrooke

Regina had just witnessed the birth of her son. Her third child she has with her wife. She couldn’t be happier. All her life, she wanted a family. She grew up blessed, had wonderful parents who were strict at times, but loved her and her siblings unconditionally.

When her brother went to war, she was so nervous. She’d wait anxiously for any form of communication he’d send her to tell her he was okay. He made it back safely and was able to check in more often once he was back in the states.

Then, her mom got sick. Daniel was back in DC and working at the Pentagon when it happened. He took a leave of absence to help back home. It was a blessing for the family because Regina’s mom when from totally fine to dead in two weeks.

The doctors found Stage III brain cancer. The tumors were causing her a lot of pain that she brushed off as “migraines”. She knew of her cancer for two weeks, but before they can’t remove the tumors, she had a massive brain aneurysm. Regina was only 12 years old.

Daniel stayed for a month after their mother died to help his father and sisters. When he went back to DC, he checked in with them every day. Thankfully, he was training other recruits instead of being shipped off to war again.

Four years later, just months after Zelena left for college, Regina found her father unresponsive in his bed. He had had a major stroke during the night and died. Daniel and Zelena flew in as soon as Regina called and told them what happened. After the funeral, they realized that Regina was still a minor and needed a guardian for two more years. Luckily, their father had thought ahead and included a clause in his will for Daniel to take guardianship of Regina, which made the process much easier.

Daniel worked remotely from Storybrooke while Regina was in school and she spent her school breaks in New York with Zelena or DC with Daniel.

Eventually, she went on to get her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Economics and Business Administration respectively. The summer after she finished grad school, she started dating her now-wife, Emma. She’d been hiding these feelings since her best friend just so happens to be Emma’s older sister. It turned out that Ruby wanted them to date and told them to go for it. Apparently, they were not as subtle with the longing-looks as they assumed they were.

Two years later had them living in an apartment in New York and engaged; Emma finished her schooling and Regina was running the financial side of her parents’ law firm and their charity organization. They got married and spent another year in the city while Emma worked the beat, gaining experience.

They moved back to Storybrooke and Emma became the sheriff, just like her father. Regina was still running the charity organization, but her sister had finished law school and moved the Mills & Associates Law Firm to the next level. Some of her partners were upset that Zelena was taking over but the majority of them knew if Henry and Cora were still alive, she’d already be in charge. Regina still handled most of the finances, but at least Zelena could help out more since she was a lawyer and already in the office. Regina was also helping at the stables in Storybrooke. Since her father passed, she took over as the primary benefactor and was taking care of their finances. Someone needed to keep track of the books and balance their accounts.

Emma and Regina started a family and Regina couldn’t believe they just had another baby. _William David. Wim._ Her heart was so full, she thought it would burst. She forgets that it was just that morning, she stormed out of the house in a huff. Why was she even angry again? She felt like nothing could ruin her mood. She shares a smile with her wife and suddenly, Regina’s in darkness. _What the hell?_

She’s in a new world. A world that feels like it’s the blink of an eye and forever all at once. She’s in a curse. No. She _cast_ a curse. She has magic, but she can’t use it. She has memories that aren’t hers, and memories that are hers. When Henry comes to her as a baby, she sobs, relieved that he exists, but Emma doesn’t. There’s no loss of Charlotte, but loss from Daniel-who is VERY different than _her_ Daniel; no love from Isa, no watching Emma waddle around pregnant and pretend she’s not the one eating all the cookies while Regina’s cooking.

Xxx

Season 1 Episode 1 “Pilot”

“Henry?! Henry. Ohh, are you okay? Where have you been?” Regina asks after she hugs Henry and makes sure he’s alright. She glances at the woman who brought him back and her heart stops. _Is this real? She’s here?!_ Her first instinct is to run and hug Emma, wrap her in her arms and never let her go. _It’s been so long_ she thinks as she does her best not to make a scene when the woman across from her has no idea who she is. She tries to recover and looks back to Henry, “What happened?”

“I found my real mom!” he yells as he storms into the house.

She pauses, _don’t make a scene. She doesn’t know you here. You don’t know_ **_this_ ** _Emma. She’s not_ **_your_ ** _Emma. Keep it together,_ she reminds herself before looking to Emma and trying not to reach out and hug her in relief. _It’s been years since I’ve seen her. My wife. My love. The mother of our children. And she doesn’t have a clue who I am or who_ **_she_ ** _is._ She takes a deep breath and looks to Emma. There’s a pause where they make eye contact and Regina’s heart breaks when there’s no recognition on her face whatsoever. She closes her eyes and takes another deep breath before asking, “You’re Henry’s birth mother?”

“Hi,” Emma says with a smile that shows how far she is out of her element.

Regina is relieved to finally see her smile again, but she just wants to reach out and wrap her wife in a hug and never let go. Unfortunately, this Emma doesn’t know they’re married, that they have a family together, that they’re in love. Her Emma would have freaked if some random person hugged her, she’s assuming this Emma is the same way. Instead, she opens her mouth but is interrupted by Graham saying he was going to check on Henry. She wants to tell him to get out of her house but she knows Henry will not see her right now. She needs someone to check in on him and make sure he’s really okay. She hates how much this Henry hates her. She didn’t do anything. She’s not the Evil Queen! She hears Graham step into the house and she straightens her spine and clenches her fists, _don’t do anything stupid_ , she tells herself before smiling through clenched teeth and then asks, “How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you’ve ever tasted?” _That was_ **_STUPID_**. She should have said nothing, or sent her away. Now she’s bringing her into her home? Her wife who doesn’t know she’s her wife? _This will end in disaster_ she thinks as she allows Emma to follow her inside.

They sit across from each other in her study. Neither knows what to say and both sit awkwardly. Regina is trying her hardest not to stare. She was worried she’d forget what Emma looked like after 28 years of not seeing her, but she was wrong. She remembers everything about Emma, the way she smiles - so open and honest, the way she taps her fingers together when she’s nervous, everything. Everything is the same, except her memories.

“I’m sorry if Henry caused you any trouble,” she finally settles on saying.

Emma looks up from her glass of cider and says, “I’m just glad he made it home safely.”

Regina nods, not sure where to take this conversation. Instead she stands up and moves back to pour herself another glass of cider. What is this, her third? Fourth? She’s lost count, but when she stands, she feels herself sway. She looks to Emma’s full glass and thinks she should maybe get herself a glass of water. She hasn’t drank like this since she first arrived in this hellhole and needed to escape all of her new _and old_ memories; all haunting her.

She realizes she’s been staring at Emma for longer than was probably appropriate. She sighs, allowing her shoulders to sag, finally allowing the stress of today hit her.

“Are you alright?” Emma asks, standing and moving toward Regina.

Apparently she didn’t just drop her shoulders, she feels herself losing her balance, but Emma is there, holding her elbows and guiding her to the couch. She sits on the coffee table, facing Regina.

This is what Regina remembers. Emma’s always been one step ahead of her, always knowing what she needs before she needs it. It brings tears to her eyes, and down her face.

“Ummmm…” Emma says, awkward once again.

“I’m so sorry,” Regina says wiping at her face.

“It’s okay,” Emma says, “I’m sure it’s been a stressful day. But Henry’s home safe now.”

There she goes, making Regina feel safer. The tears fall harder, “It’s been stressful for a while now.” She pauses to catch her breath, “I didn’t know what to do when I told Henry he was adopted, I’ve never gone through this before.”

“I’m sure you did okay. You look like you have it together,” Emma tries to placate as she looks around the study.

Regina scoffs, “Looks can be deceiving. I feel like I’m falling apart. I don’t belong here. Something’s gone wrong and I can’t break out of this hellhole.”

Emma’s eyes zone in on Regina, trying to figure out what she’s talking about.

“I’m not lying,” Regina says as she gains control of her lungs again.

Emma’s walls go flying up and her eyebrows scrunch toward her nose, “how did you…”

Regina waves a hand as she wipes her eyes, “I know about your ‘superpower’ Emma. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I _know_ you. I’ve known you your entire life. We grew up in the same town, went to high school together-”

“I grew up in the foster system, moved around a lot. If we went to school together, I don’t remember you.” She’s shut down, that honesty Regina was looking so hard for is gone.

Regina reaches to grab Emma’s hand, hoping she doesn’t pull away. “That’s what I mean, the Emma I know didn’t grow up like that. She grew up with two older siblings and parents who doted on you all. I need to get back there; to where I’m supposed to be. I just don’t know how to get there.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Emma, please. REMEMBER. Please. Don’t forget about me,” she whispers at the end. She watches Emma’s eyes, hoping there’s a flash of _something_ . Anything that resembles recognition. All she sees is confusion, and a bit of uncertainty.  Regina would give _anything_ to have her Emma back, even for a moment. She just misses her so much. She wants to hug her. She wonders if this Emma smells the same as her Emma.

“I think I should go,” Emma says as she stands up to move away from Regina.

Regina can’t bear to watch her go, not again. “Wait, please.” She lets out a tiny sigh of relief when Emma pauses in the doorway. “I’m sorry.” She stands up and smooths her dress down, “it seems my alcohol tolerance isn’t what it used to be. Please excuse my actions tonight. Goodnight, Miss Swan. Have a safe drive back to Boston.” _Why did I say that? I don’t want her to leave._

Xxx

Season 1 Episode 2 “The Thing You Love Most“

Regina reads the storybook. _What is this? I don’t know all of this._ She has most of this Regina’s memories, but some of the information in this book is new to her. Perhaps because this Regina blocked out the memories or was not around when the events occurred. _I want to know what happened. I need to know_ she thinks as she continues flipping through the pages.

Some of the information is frightening. _I cannot believe what this Regina went through._ As she’s reading she realizes, _this book is so biased!!_ It doesn’t include much about Regina’s past and _why_ she did the things she did. It also doesn’t include any of the _good_ things she did. _There weren’t many good things,_ Regina admits, _but this Regina did try. Over and over. It’s not like she jumped into bed with the darkness right away. The darkness slowly ate everything away until it was all Regina had left. This Regina tried to fight against the darkness, but in the end, the darkness was too powerful to be bested by a young and naïve girl whose whole life was upside down and she was all alone. No one is strong enough to beat the darkness alone,_ Regina thinks sadly. _No one._ She wipes a tear from her eye, thinking about her own darkness. She takes a deep breath before continuing to read Henry’s storybook.

It’s one thing to _know_ what happened to someone, especially since Regina feels like they’re her memories because when she thinks about them it feels like it actually happened to her. It’s an entirely different experience to actually read what happened and see the visuals next to it. Regina can’t believe how menacing she looks at Snow and Charming’s wedding. She’s known her reality’s version of Mary Margaret and David for many years, but they’re her parents’ age. In this universe, Mary Margaret, _Snow, I can’t call her Mary Margaret, it’s weird_ Regina reminds herself as she continues her thought. This universe has Snow younger than Regina. If that’s not weird enough, Snow is also the same age as her daughter. _HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK?_ This magic stuff was really giving Regina a migraine.

Xxx

Season 1 Episode 8 Desperate Souls

Emma sits and Granny’s drinking whiskey. Ruby comes up and asks if she wants another and Emma agrees. Henry comes in and he offers her a radio to stay in contact with each other.

Regina walks in the door, “I thought I might find you here.” Of course she knew where her wife, _not wife in this place,_ would be, with her Granny. “With a drink,” she deadpans instead. Her Emma was known to have an occasional drink, but not as much as this Emma. Never that much. _This isn’t my Emma,_ she reminds herself. _I can’t tell her not to do that, even if I try, she won’t listen._ She centers herself before continuing in an unimpressed voice, “and my son.” It breaks her heart to claim Henry as “hers” and not “ours” but she feels like she’s not in control of her own actions. She wants to hug Emma, cry and tell her how much she missed her, She wants Emma to wrap her arms around her and hold her. She misses waking up with Emma next to her; she misses sharing smiles when their children do something amazing; she misses knowing someone better than she knows herself; she misses _Emma_. But she can’t focus on that right now, she feels herself talking and walking, even if it doesn’t feel like it’s actually her doing it.

She may not feel like she’s the one in control of her body all the time, but she still feels her heartbreak when she see Henry avoiding her when she’s not this evil person. She may have this Regina’s memories but she was _never_ that person. Trying to kill someone is not in her nature.

Regina is stuck in her own world thinking about how much she misses her wife and son who are sitting right in front of her and her other children who are not here. _Where are they?_ she wonders not for the first time. She knows Emma and Sidney are talking, but she isn’t focused on their worlds. Suddenly, she finds herself lifting the sheriffs pin, “Congratulations,” she feels herself offer a small smile while on the inside she is leaping with joy. _It’s about fucking time. My Emma has been Sheriff for years. I’ve known her for years. I watched her grow up. She doesn’t even recognize her sister. I know they’re not_ **_technically_ ** _related in this reality but their bond has to transcend realms._ **_Our_ ** _bond has to transcend realms. I hope this is the first step toward getting my Emma back._ She knows she can’t tell this Emma what’s going on- _not yet anyway._ She sets the pin on the counter and continues, “Sheriff Swan.” She’s trying so hard not to jump up and down and scream _FINALLY!_ Being able to say Sheriff Swan again is a relief to her. She misses saying it, randomly surprising her wife at work to bring lunch, to bring everything Emma forgot at home when she rushed out earlier in the morning, popping in just because she missed being around her wife. _This better be a step in the right direction_ , Regina thinks. She smiles as she gets to tell Emma that she was chosen because she stood up to Gold. It wasn’t the same situation as in her reality, because she could be seen as “inheriting” the job from her father but no one would tell you Emma didn’t deserve the job and _earn_ it every day. Regina hopes this will stay true in this hellhole of a reality. Regina realizes she’s talking about Gold making a “superlative enemy” and has to remind herself to leave her bedroom voice out the equation when talking with this Emma, especially with so many people - _and their son_ \- around. She tries to cover it but knows she falls short, thus she leaves the diner so she doesn’t make another slip up. _I need to read more about this magic shit so I can get home to_ **_my_ ** _Emma and our children._

Xxx

Season 3 Episode 11 “Going Home”

Regina has seen what she has to do. It breaks her heart to send her family away, even if they aren’t aware the family life they are missing in her reality. She knows this could be the hardest thing she’s ever done but if this is what it takes to save her family, then this is what she’ll do.

“It’s not our price, it’s mine,” Regina says as she looks at the scroll.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s what I felt when I…first held it. I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most.”

“Henry?” Emma asks as she reaches behind her to get Henry to step up next to her.

 _You and Henry._ Regina takes a deep breath, “I can never see you again. I have no choice, I have to undo what I started.”

“The curse that brought us to Storybrooke?” Snow asks as she steps forward

“The curse that _created_ Storybrooke” She is in way over her head. What she knows about magic is from this Regina’s memories and what she could read in the books she found in this Regina’s vault. _I wish I knew more. Regina has studied almost all of the magical books ever written but maybe there’s another book out there that has a different way to break this curse. Damn, why is there no Google search for magical books?_ “It doesn’t belong here and neither do any of us,” she continues as she pulls herself from the idea of creating a Google search option to find out what kind of spells are in each book by using key word searches.

“Breaking the curse will destroy the town.” David, always stating the obvious. This makes Regina feel a bit better, you couldn’t tell by looking at her, but David being the simple, straightforward man that he is makes her smile, _at least some things from my world didn’t change when I came here_.

“It will weave out of existence as if it were never here and everyone will go back to where they’re from. Prevented from ever returning.” Her heart breaks as she looks toward Emma and Henry. She tries to explain that Henry will not be taken with them because he was born in this world and her heart stops as she thinks about leaving her little boy. _I’m being punished for something I never did. I don’t think I can handle losing my baby one more time._ When Emma starts to worry about Henry being alone, Regina’s heart can’t take any more. _This is my Emma. Only worried for her son and ready to move mountains to save her family._ Regina doesn’t know if she’s considered a part of this Emma’s family or not, but she doesn’t let that hiccup stop her from focusing on _her_ family’s safety, which right now was all about Emma and Henry.

“No. You’ll take him, because you’re the Savior. You were created to break the curse and once again, you will escape it.”

Emma doesn’t want to hear that, “I don’t want to. We’ll both go back with everyone.”   Regina sighs, _why is she always so stubborn?_ “That’s not an option. I can’t be with him. If I don’t pay the price, then this won’t work.” _So much for thinking my heart can’t take anymore. Damn thing is still beating._ She tries to focus on getting her family to safety and about not saying the wrong thing with everyone around them. She can’t be showing her emotions when those two dead-beat guys are right behind Emma watching her. Regina wants to kill them both for the way they’ve acted around Emma, but she knows that’s not right. She doesn’t kill people, even if they treat women as badly as they both have. She still fills with rage when she looks at them. She knows she _technically_ doesn’t have claim to this Emma, but it’s hard not to feel jealous of someone who is essentially the same person you married, just with different memories. _Yeah, because that’s simple to understand,_ Regina thinks. _You couldn’t even follow a soap opera that was this crazy._

She takes a deep breath and focuses all of her attention back on Emma and Henry. She’s relieved to see that Snow has taken over and is giving some form of what this reality’s Regina would call a Hope Speech. In her reality, Mary Margaret was a sweet schoolteacher who was always bubbling with positivity. That’s not different here. What’s different is that in this reality she’s _younger_ than Regina and she knows how to shoot a bow. Oh, and when she gives a Hope Speech, Regina feels nauseous and her teeth hurt. Apparently, kindness _can_ try to kill you.

Regina’s not sure if Snow is done with her Hope Speech but she can’t hold this in anymore. So, she blurts, “I’ve known you…for some time…” _Nice save,_ she thinks with an internal eye roll. She focuses on Henry as she continues, “What I want is for Henry to be happy.” _And you_ she adds silently. It breaks her heart that she can’t say that to her own wife when they’re saying goodbye. “We have no choice. You have to go.”

**

Regina faces away as Emma says goodbye to Hook. She knows this isn’t _her_ Emma, but she looks like her Emma, acts like her Emma, does _everything_ like her Emma. When Hook steps back and Emma turns away Regina calls, “Emma,” quietly and steps toward her. “There’s something I haven’t told you.” She can see Emma is at her wits end and can’t take anymore, but Regina has to tell her. “When the curse washes over us, it will send us all back.” She shudders to think about going to this Enchanted Forest. She, herself, has never been there, but she has this Regina’s memories and they terrify her. “Nothing will be left behind. Including your memories.” _Great. Another chance Emma won’t know anything and I’m stuck remembering everything_ she thinks bitterly as she tries to tell Emma everything without breaking down. “It’s just what the curse does,” she explains, even though she knows about as much as Emma does. She’s sure this Regina would know more about it, but she only knows from this Regina’s basic memories and what she was able to figure out in these past years by studying this Regina’s magic books. “Storybrooke will no longer exist. It won’t ever have existed. So, these last years will be gone from your memories,” _and the ones you don’t remember._ ** _Our years together_** **.** _They’ll all be gone. You won’t remember me. Again._ “And we’ll go back to just being stories again.”

She tries so hard not to cry as Emma starts asking questions about a “happy ending”. It’s getting harder and harder and Regina knows she needs to wrap it up so Henry and Emma can get away before the curse hits. She **needs** to do this. She grabs Emma’s hand, hoping she won’t pull away and break her heart even more. “My gift to you is good memories. A good life for you and Henry.” She sighs in relief when Henry openly takes her hand instead of shielding away behind the sham of a man pretending to be his parent.

 _It’s not my reality,_ she reminds herself. _This Henry needs to know his father. My Henry doesn’t have a father because he has us. His moms. He never needed to know about his donor because he played no active role in his creation. He’s not a part of my Henry’s life. This Henry wants to know the man that spawned him. He deserves that._

She shakes herself internally and pushes on with her speech. “You’ll have never given him up. You’ll have always been together.” It’s getting harder to say these words but she wants this Emma and this Henry to have each other. If she can’t have her family, then she wants the best possible outcomes for them. Happiness. No matter what that means for her.

They talk about it’s validity and Regina knows she won’t be able to continue to say no if they talk longer. “Now go, there isn’t much time left,” she says as she tries not to break down. Henry hugs her tightly, hiding in her embrace and she sighs, wrapping him up just as tight. She focuses on this feeling. This feeling will get her through this next phase. This phase where she’s alone. Again. Without her family. Again. She lets go of Henry and steps away when it looks like Emma is going to step forward and say _or do_ something else, something that will break Regina for sure. So, she steps away, and allows Snow to step in.

She watches as Emma and Henry get into that death trap of a car this Emma drives and tries to hold it together as she watches them drive away from her. She focuses all of her energy into making sure their memories are happy. She can’t make them remember something that wouldn’t agree with their current timeline but she’ll be damned if she leaves them feeling anything other than happy and fulfilled. She pushes out all of her love for her family. The love for people whom she knows but not this reality’s version of them. The people she will love from afar because that’s what it takes to keep them safe. She lets her love shine through as the curse washes over them. _Please let them make it out okay_ she thinks before it all goes black.

*Sometime during the missing year*

“Henry! Come on, you’re going to be late for the Buddy Program if we don’t leave now.”

“Yeah, Ma. I’m coming,” Henry says as he walks out of his room with his backpack. “It’s not a big deal if I’m late. Little kids don’t understand time.”

Emma shakes her head, “They know when they’re missing out on something and I think your little buddy will realize if you’re not there.”

Henry scoffs, “No way, Ma. He’s the same age as Isa and she never knew when I was late.” There’s silence as they both try to figure out what that meant. Henry knew it sounded right at the time but now something feels off. _Who’s Isa and why am I talking about her?_

**

“This is my favorite part of the park,” Henry says as they walk through the forest path. He looks at the little river as they walk over the small bridge. He loves the way the water reflects like a mirror, _is that a weird thing to feel? Why am I thinking about mirrors?_

“I know. This is a beautiful place, always makes me feel calm,” Emma agrees as they stop just past the bridge and sit along what has become _their_ bench over the years. They’ve been coming here for…well, come to think of it, she can’t remember how long they’ve been coming here. Either way, she feels relaxed right now. She allows Henry some time to quickly write in his journal, jotting down things he sees and waits for him to write it all down in his own words. When he looks up and smiles, she stands up and says, “I’ll give you another minute, I’ll go check on your sister.”

There’s a pause. They look at each other in confusion and chuckle as Henry says, “Suuuuuuuure, Ma. While you head to CrazyTown I’ll finish writing and then we can get some pizza. You’re so hungry, you’re starting to hallucinate.” Emma smiles good-naturedly and looks toward the playground wondering how the hell she thought Henry had a sister. _I think I’d remember giving birth to another kid_ , she thinks as she tries to follow that train of thought that has quickly disappeared into her subconscious.

**

They’re sitting in parent teacher conferences with Henry’s English teacher. “Hello Miss Swan, it’s nice to finally meet you. Hello Mr. Mills, welcome back,” she says with a smile as she gestures for them to sit on the chairs in front of her desk. She looks at Emma, “Henry is such a joy to have in class, but I have to ask, I haven’t heard of many people with the name Henry in a long time. How did you choose his name?”

Emma gives a bit of a strange look but Henry jumps in, “My mom chose it. It’s my grandfather’s name.”

“Oh how wonderful! It’s so nice to pass down names between generations.” She notices Emma’s weird look and she asks, “Miss Swan? Is everything all right?”

Emma snaps out of her trance and gives a fake smile, “Yes, of course.”

His teacher looks unconvinced, “Okay then,” and continues telling Emma about Henry’s accomplishments in school, both in the classroom and out. She smiles when she’s finished and says, “Henry, would you mind giving your mother and I a minute?”

He shrugs and grabs the papers she gave him before he stands and leaves the room.

“Is something wrong?” Emma asks.

“Well, I’m honestly not sure. Henry has a very active imagination, as I’m sure you know.” Emma smiles and the teacher continues, “We do daily in-class writing assignments and I allow the children to use their creativity by giving them a general prompt and asking them to write for 5-10 minutes at the beginning of class. Some of the prompts are used to get really creative and write about sword fights and slaying dragons and others are about writing about your family and friends.”

“Okay….?” Emma asks, confused as to where this is going.

The teacher looks very uncomfortable as she shifts in her chair, “Does Henry often lie?”

“Excuse me?” Emma can’t believe her ears. _Weren’t we just talking about Henry’s imagination?_

“Well, in some of his prompts, Henry seems to be stretching the truth…. a lot.”

“Isn’t that the point?” Emma asks, “Using his imagination to create something new every day?”

“To an extent,” the teacher agrees. “Sometimes I’m looking to have the children create some impossible feats with their imagination, and sometimes I just want to know about the children themselves. I’ll ask about their family, what they do in their free time, what their favorite color is and why. I just want to check in with my students.”

“Okay…? I’m still confused why you’re worried about Henry.”

“He talks a lot about his sister and another dark-haired mother. As far as I knew, you were Henry’s sole guardian and he was an only child.”

“He is.” Suddenly, Emma doesn’t feel so sure.

“And I know it’s not my place, but since you’re his sole guardian and you have different last names…”

“You’re right. It’s not your place,” Emma says as her face goes neutral and she raises an eyebrow. She’s never really thought about the fact that Henry’s last name is Mills. She probably did it after one of her bail bondsperson jobs went south. _Just because I doesn’t remember the case doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. The only reason Henry would have a different last name would be because it was safer for him. Right?_

The teacher pauses but then decides to continue on, “I’m worried about him, Miss Swan. Early he mentioned being named after a grandfather and yet you seemed to have no idea what he meant. Was that not true?”

“I was an orphan,” Emma says quietly, looking down at the floor. “I never knew my parents. So, he wasn’t named after my father because I don’t know his name.”

The teacher nods sympathetically. Emma can see the pity in her eyes and her spine straightens. Nothing is worse than seeing pity after someone hears your story.

She clears her throat and says, “Thank you for your concern for Henry. I’m sure he is just choosing to create fictional families to help his imagination grow and change. I appreciate you meeting with us tonight. Have a good evening.”

“You too…Miss Swan.” The teacher says but Emma is already gone.

**

Sometimes Emma wakes up in the middle of the night and reaches for something _someone_ but by the time she realizes what she’s doing, the urge is gone and she forgets about it. Sometimes she finds herself checking behind her, not knowing what she’s looking for. The urge is fleeting, never staying long enough for Emma to notice how often it happens. She’ll smile at something Henry excelled at (homework, exams, awards) and look up to something _someone_ and then feels a sinking feeling. Something’s missing. _Someone_ is missing. But every time Emma tries to follow those feelings, it leads to nothing; a blank slate; confusion; so, she brushes it off, pretending it never happened.

Sometimes she feels like she’s being watched. Not in a creepy way or in a “this is concerning and it needs to stop” way but in that it makes her feel like she’s being taken care of. Somehow, she believes someone is watching over her. _A guardian angel of sorts_ she thinks when she catches a reflection of a dark-haired woman in the mirror as she walks through the hallway. It’s never long enough for her to take notice of it, but she feels loved and cared for during those moments. She likes to think that someone, _anyone_ , out there cares enough to check in on her and Henry. For the foster girl who never had a family, thinking a gorgeous brunette is watching out for her and Henry makes some days easier to get through.

Secretly, when Emma sees this dark-haired beauty, she hopes she can share Henry with her. Emma’s always been alone. Always. And to think a stranger (but yet not a _complete_ stranger) has been there for some of Henry’s biggest accomplishments; well, that just feels right to Emma.

Xxx

Season 3 Episode 13 “Witch Hunt”

Regina has been brewing this memory potion and praying to anything that will listen that it works. She doesn’t think she can handle Henry not remembering her at all. She will break. She can feel herself start to crack into pieces. _This has to work_ she thinks as she swirls the vial. _I need to know what happened in that missing year, and I need Henry to remember me._ **_Henry_** _. I need to know who brought us back here so I can protect him._ She starts to rush the process but stops herself when she realizes that if she rushes this it won’t work.

She and Emma talk back and forth while Regina finishes this potion. “Thank you.”

“For what? We haven’t done anything yet,” Emma says, confused at what Regina is saying.

“You saw how quick this town was to blame me. But you, you believe I didn’t cast that curse. I know that wasn’t easy for you.” It physically pains her to know that Emma doesn’t trust her here.

“Sure it was.” _What?_ Regina thinks she misheard until Emma continues, “I knew you were telling the truth. My superpower may not be perfect. But with you, Regina, I always know when you’re lying.”

Regina just offers a small smile, _that’s my Emma. Perhaps there_ **_is_ ** _a part of her that’s here in this realm._ In her reality, her Emma knows her better than anyone else ever could _dream_ of knowing someone. _We’re married. Of course she knows me the best. Sometimes we could pass for sharing a brain because we’re that in sync._ Regina’s heart soars as she thinks that maybe there’s a chance she can find her Emma somewhere inside of this one. She tries to water down that happiness by looking back at the potion and stop giving Emma the doe-eyes that she saves for her Emma and her Emma alone. _They’re not the same person_ she tries to remind herself as she turns her full attention back to the potion in her hand. _Here goes nothing._

Xxx

Season 4 Episode 1 “A Tale of Two Sisters”

Regina is sitting on the floor of her office with her back against the door. She can’t believe how upset she is. Everyone assumes it’s because of Robin and it might be. He was the first person to show interest in her as a person. He was the first person to show genuine interest in _her_. Not her redemption, not only her “good” side, just Regina; _all_ of her.

It wasn’t the same as when she was married to Emma and they had their family together, not even close. But he made her feel wanted, in some twisted way, her heart needed to know that she was still wanted. It’s been so long since someone has talked to her without reservation or fear of her “going evil”. Robin was nice to her, and it helped her cope with the fact that Emma was spending time with that dreadful pirate.

It hurts her to no end that even after he kidnapped Regina and chained her down to be electrocuted and sent her to her death, he still gets Emma. Seeing him makes a knot form in Regina’s chest. For so long, even knowing he was in Storybrooke sent chills down her spine. She didn’t sleep at all while they were in Neverland. When she and Emma were staying in the same room, she felt a little better because she hoped Emma wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her, but they were staying in the captain’s quarters.

Regina could smell the stale rum stench of Hook and she was sick nearly every night. She spent as much time as possible out of those quarters. Emma knew something was wrong, had even asked her about it, but when Regina brushed it off as being about Henry, Emma didn’t push. _So much for always knowing whether I’m lying or not_ Regina thinks with a scoff.

She lowers her head to rest on her knees and allows the tears to fall. Emma doesn’t care about her here. Back in her reality they’re a team, they make every decision together and talk to each other constantly. Here, she’s only an obstacle in Emma’s way. Emma may not say that, but Regina knows if Emma made the call, she would never see Henry again. She feels ill to think of all she’s missed with this Henry.

She has all of this Regina’s memories, or at least most of them, but she can’t bear to think of all she’s missed back in her reality. How long has she been gone there? How much time has she missed with her babies? How old are they? Do they remember her? Oh god, what if she’s stuck here and her reality thinks she died? Her sobs grow stronger until she can no longer breathe. Her chest is tight and she’s gasping for air. Her babies are gone. It’s been years in this timeline, how long has it been in hers? Has she missed everything? Wim’s first words, his first step, Isa’s first day of school, has Wim started school? Does everyone think she’s dead? Has Emma moved on? She can’t bear the thought of losing _another_ Emma. Oh god, she’s going to be sick.

Eventually, she gains control of herself. She’s still crying, but she’s no longer violently sick. She cannot stand from her place on the ground yet, but she can breathe again. There have been a few hiccups from her sobbing, but they’ve slowed. She finally thinks she might be able to get up and make herself moderately presentable before poofing home to drown the rest of her sorrows in a bottle of cider when she hears footsteps.

 _Not just any footsteps, those are Emma’s footsteps._ She can’t do this right now. She knows she can’t stand up and hide, Emma will hear her and barge in and Regina is too fragile to even think about Emma, let alone see her and have her asking questions. That might break Regina completely. She’ll end up saying something she’ll regret. She might just tell Emma everything; then she’ll have Regina locked up for sure.

She tries to control her breathing, hoping Emma will think she’s not here and go away. She hears and feels Emma knock on the door and hides her face to muffle her breathing. Emma makes a long speech and Regina doesn’t know if she can take anymore. _Just stop talking. Please, just leave_ Regina begs to whichever deity is listening.

“Henry brought me to Storybrooke to bring back the happy endings, my job’s not done until I do that for everyone. Including you.”

Regina’s breath catches, _You’re supposed to be my happy ending, you idiot!_ How could Emma think she could give Regina her happy ending when she has no idea that _she’s_ Regina’s happy ending. Regina does her best not to make any noise as she listens to Emma outside the door. Finally, she hears the retreating footsteps and when she can hear the yellow deathtrap outside pull away from the building she releases a jolt of magic that shatters glass against the wall.

She releases all of her pent up energy. Her anger against Hook for taking away her power, against Emma for not stopping him, against Robin for making her feel cared for just to take it away again, and against herself for getting into this situation and not being able to get out of it.

She looks at the debris surrounding her, mirrors, tumblers, her glass table, and multiple vases, figurines, and books lay scattered and destroyed across the floor of her office. She sighs and leans her head against the window, staring out at her apple tree. _I just want to go home_.


	3. The Void

Everything is black. She’s in a black room.

 _Dammit. Reality shifting really gives me a migraine._ She rubs at her temples and the back of her neck, _Transcending realms gives me whiplash._ She tries to find out where she is. Maybe if she can figure out where she is, she can figure out how to get out of this realm shift. _Magic. Do I have magic here?_ she wonders as she tries to light a flame in her palm. It works. _Oh thank god. I have missed my magic_ she thinks as she allows the flame in her palm to grow larger and larger, trying to illuminate where she is.

“Good Gods. Watch where you point that torch!” she hears next to her.

 _Was that….me?_ she wonders. _How can I be saying that?_

She snaps her fingers and the room is suddenly flooded with light. _Thank god I remember that_ she thinks to herself as she ponders why she’s suddenly so thankful to the place that has caused her so much pain and suffering, _don’t go down that road. Focus on_ **_now_** _._

“How did you do that?” Regina turns and abruptly feels like she’s staring in a mirror.

“Do what?” Regina asks her double - _does this version look older?_

“That…that thing with the lights,” her reflection asks. _Not reflection, alternative reality-person_.

“Magic,” she says offhandedly as she looks around for an exit.

“Yeah right. You wouldn’t know how to do that,” her double says in disbelief.

Regina turns around to stare at her reflection, _Are all Regina’s this cynical?_ She puts her hand out, palm out, and lights a fire. Her double gasps and she smirks.

“You’ve been to my realm,” Older-Regina says in disbelief.

“Yes! Now, let me go home! This is just some crazy dream. Wake up Regina,” she says to herself as she turns her back to the other Regina. “You need to wake up,” she says, talking to herself, trying to find a way out, “and check on Emma. See if Henry and Isa are still sleeping. You can wake up and talk to your baby, just wake up.” When nothing happens, she turns to the older version of herself, the one from Storybrooke. “You did this. You need to fix it. Take me back. Wait. How much time did you take from me? How much of my children’s lives have I missed? I swear to God if you did something-“

Regina from Storybrooke flicks her wrist and her double’s voice disappears. Regina lets out a sigh and turns to look at her double. Her eyes are wide as she grabs at her throat, trying to find out where her voice went. “Now. Since you can’t talk, you’re going to listen. Yes, I’m the Regina from Storybrooke. Yes, I was in your realm. No, I don’t know how much time will have passed when you return. Time passed while I was there, as I’m sure it did with you in Storybrooke, but realm hopping in tricky. We might go back and no time has passed, or we might go back and lots of time has passed. I just don’t know. I don’t even know if you’ll remember any of it when you leave this place.” Older Regina subtly moves her hair, trying to pretend she’s not as bothered as she really is.

Younger Regina snaps her fingers and her voice returns. She lets out a laugh and says, “Finally.”

Regina from Storybrooke is shocked, “How? How did you do that?”

“You were right, time did pass in Storybrooke, and I had all of your memories from there. I know how you learned magic. I remembered it through your memories. That’s why I could give my own voice back-it just took some time to do the spell in reverse. I’ve never had to give my own voice back.”

Older Regina smirks, “I suppose not.” There’s a pause where neither know what to say before she asks, “where did you wind up in my realm?”

“Your house?” Young Regina answers in confusion.

Regina from Storybrooke rolls her eyes, “I mean, what part of the timeline did you end up in?”

Young Regina makes an “oh” face as understanding washes over her. “When you enacted the curse.”

“You were there for 28 years?” Regina asks in shock.

“Well…technically,” Younger Regina agrees, “but it felt like it was moving in fast forward until Henry brought Emma to Storybrooke. I guess I was _technically_ there but I don’t think time was moving at a normal pace until I met Emma.”

Older Regina nods her head but Younger Regina can tell she doesn’t know why that is.

“But I still had all your memories…I think. At at the very least, I had most of them. I sort of knew what had happened that led up to your enacting the curse, but I had to read Henry’s book to catch up on some of the details your memories didn’t include.”

“Well, I hope you didn’t base all of your information on that book. It’s quite biased.”

Younger Regina gives a dry chuckle, “Yeah, I figured that out pretty quick.”

Regina pauses to stare at the younger version of her; a version raised without the pressure of being queen. She could see a light in her eyes that Regina, herself, hasn’t had since Daniel was killed. _This is how it could have been_ she thinks. For the first time since she’s encountered this other Regina’s timeline, she doesn’t feel envious of what she has. She’s happy that this Regina has found happiness, even if it is with Emma Swan. _Still peculiar_ she thinks. _I wonder-_

Her thought is cut off as her double asks her, “Where did you end up in my timeline?”

Regina lets go of thoughts of the Emma Swan in her reality and looks at the younger version of herself, “When Emma gave birth.”

“That’s it? I lived _decades_ being stuck somewhere I didn’t belong while you had a pregnancy?”

“Time works differently in different realities,” Regina from Storybrooke explains.

“No! You don’t get to explain this away. It’s your fault, isn’t it? You’re the reason our timelines merged and created a ripple. You’re the reason I was stuck in that Hell Hole with my family that wasn’t _really_ my family for three FUCKING decades while you got to play house with my family! What did you need to learn from this? Did you do something bad in your timeline and this was your wake up call?” She can see she’s struck a cord with the other Regina. She shouldn’t have done that. “I’m sorry- I- I shouldn’t have snapped like that. We don’t really know what caused the ripple. It could’ve been a freak accident with the universe. I shouldn’t blame you. I _don’t_ blame you. I just want to go home,” she whispers at the end and looks to the floor. “So you really don’t know why I was stuck for decades while you were stuck for days?”

Regina shakes her head sadly, “I don’t have an answer for that. Time works in mysterious ways. Perhaps I wasn’t the _only_ Regina in need of a lesson,” she says with a raised eyebrow.

The younger Regina pauses, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I need to stop focusing on the past and focus on right now and what the future holds.

Regina reaches out to the younger version of herself and rests a hand on her shoulder, “You’re allowed to grieve for Charlotte, but you can allow yourself to move on too. You’re not taking any love away from her by loving your other babies just as much.”

“I don’t want to replace her,” Young Regina wipes a tear from her eye.

“You’re not. You’re expanding. She will always have your love. You’ve seen what a beating heart looks like. It will find ways to grow and allow more love to give out. You won’t ever run out of love. I promise.”

“You should take your own advice,” Young Regina snarks as she sniffles.

Regina chuckles but grows somber, “I suppose you’re right.”

She feels the other Regina take her hand and looks up at her. “I want you to know that I have no idea why this realm hopping happened, but I’m sorry for it and what it’s caused you.”

Younger Regina shrugs, something that surprised Regina from Storybrooke, _she never grew up with lessons on the etiquette of a queen_ she reminds herself, _she also has spent an awful amount of time with Emma,_ she adds as Younger Regina says, “It’s over now. I’m sure we both caused our fair amount of trouble.”

Regina from Storybrooke tries her best to glare at her double, but it’s like looking in a mirror; not exactly the same but close enough to be freaky. “What kind of trouble?” she asks cautiously.

“Well, I did my best to stick to how I felt you would react to things, but sometimes my own instincts would override yours…I didn’t sleep with Emma if that’s what you’re asking.”

Older Regina looks stricken. “That’s….that’s not…that’s not what I mean,” she stutters out.

Her double smirks, “Sure, it wasn’t. WAIT! Did you sleep with my Emma? I swear to God I will fireball your ass.” Her smirk is gone and replaced with jealousy as her hand burns bright with a fireball.

“Relax,” Regina from Storybrooke says as she puts out the fireball in Younger Regina’s hand out, “I did not sleep with her.”

Younger Regina drops her now-empty hand and says, “Oh, okay. I told Emma. In the beginning, I told her I didn’t belong here. I think that’s why she stayed in Storybrooke, she probably thought Henry wasn’t safe with me.” She pauses and then adds, “I think Henry was on to my charade. He asked me early on, before the curse was broken. He told me I was acting weird, but then I was there for so long, I guess everyone just moved on. After the first two decades, it felt like I _did_ belong there…”

Regina from Storybrooke swallows and nods her head, “Alright. I suppose we’ll be able to douse our own fires easier than we’d be able to douse each others.”

Regina nods at her double, “Yes, I’d like to return to my realm now. Do you know how to get out of here?” When Regina from Storybrooke shakes her head, Younger Regina groans and says, “I need to get home. I need to see how much time has passed. Emma will need me. She’s such a heavy sleeper, she sometimes can’t wake up if the kids need us.”

Regina from Storybrooke’s eyes go wide, _how am I going to tell her?_ “Your Emma already had your baby,” she blurts. _Smooth, Regina._

“What?! You told me you didn’t sleep with her! I swear to the Gods, just because we share a face doesn’t mean I won’t singe off your skin.”

“What?” Regina asks quizzically, “she was already pregnant,” ignoring the fireball looming near her face.

“Oh,” Younger Regina lowers her hand and puts out the fireball in it. “Were you talking about Wim?” Off the other Regina’s nod she says, “I was there. I took her to the hospital and helped her through it.”

Regina from Storybrooke nods and thinks a weight has been lifted from her shoulders, at least she didn’t have to worry about the younger Regina freaking about missing the birth of her son. She looks around the room in relief and that’s when she notices a ripple in the wall. It’s small, barely noticeable, but it brings a smile to her face. “I know how to get us out of here.”

She moves to the wall and Younger Regina follows, “What is it?” she asks when she notices what Regina from Storybrooke had noticed earlier.

“Our way out,” Regina says, “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” her double asks.

Regina from Storybrooke holds out her hand, palm up. When Younger Regina looks hesitant, she extends her hand a little further. Younger Regina rolls her eyes but places her hand atop Regina from Storybrooke’s hand. They exchange memories. When the memories fade, they both open their eyes to see they’re both crying.

“Thank you,” they both whisper to each other and share a laugh.

Regina from Storybrooke smiles and says, “You’re very lucky. You have a wonderful family and I wish you all the best.”

Younger Regina smiles back, “You as well.” There’s a pause where Older Regina looks down and Younger Regina continues, “You can still find happiness, you know.” Regina from Storybrooke looks like she’s about to disagree so she adds, “Maybe it’s Emma, maybe she’s my… _our_ … Soulmate in every reality. Or maybe our realities are too different, but you can still find happiness. It doesn’t have to be her, maybe it’s some other person you fall in love with, maybe it’s your family you’ve created, maybe it’s Henry, or maybe," she pauses to give a serious look, "it's loving yourself," she smiles softly. "Whatever happiness is for you, I hope you find it. Just don’t close yourself away from all of the possibilities that lie before you.”

Older Regina smiles and squeezes her doubles hand and nods with tears in her eyes before motioning to the ripple in the wall, “When you touch that ripple, you will be taken back to your realm. You probably won’t remember this but I hope you maintain the memories we’ve shared. Your subconscious will most likely turn those memories into something that you, yourself, experienced. It will feel like you were having an off day but they will be _your_ memories.”

Her double nods and steps toward the ripple, “Thank you. Take care,” she adds as she reaches for the ripple. Right before she touches it she turns back to say “Good luck, Regina.”

Regina nods, “Good luck…Gi.”

Her double scoffs with a smile and rolls her eyes, “I’ve been stuck with that nickname since high school; I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it.”

“Good. It suits you. Now go back to your family” Regina adds with a smile.

Younger Regina beams and turns back to the ripple before plunging her hand into the wall. Regina sighs and looks around the blank space around her, nothing but walls. She takes a deep breath and thinks about the last few days. _Has it been days? Has it been hours? Years? How long have I been gone?_ She raises her head to stare at the ripple; _I need to get back to Storybrooke. But what’s waiting for me when I return? Was my double correct? Do I have a chance with Emma? Or is my Soulmate someone else?_ She starts pacing the room and thinks about all the possibilities. Finally, she stops directly in front of the ripple, _enough worrying, enough overthinking. I am going back to Storybrooke and whatever happens, happens._ She takes another deep breath and plunges her hand into the ripple.


	4. Home

Regina blinks and she’s sitting in the hospital chair. Her vision clears and she realizes she’s watching Emma hum quietly to their son. Their still-visibly newborn son. _I didn’t miss anything!!_ Her heart starts beating for the first time in what feels like years. “Emma!” she squeals as she jumps up from her seat.

Emma jumps and begins softly bouncing and shushes their startled son. “Gi? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! I just missed you. Oh my god, I’m so sorry we got into that fight. It was stupid and meaningless. I’m sorry. My god!!! I’ve missed you so much!” she says at a lower tone as she wraps Emma in her arms, allowing her presence in Regina’s arms to calm her racing heart.

“What are you talking about?” Emma asks in confusion. “You’ve been sleeping for like 10 minutes.”

Regina pauses, “Only 10 minutes?”

Emma nods slowly, “Yeah…" her eyebrows draw together, "Gi? What’s going on?”

Regina shakes her head and tries to place the memories she has. This feels like after she broke the second curse and got her memories from the missing year. Everything’s groggy. “I…I don’t know.”

“Wanna talk it out?” Emma asks. This isn’t the first time Regina’s been confused about a dream she’s had. She’s realized over the years that if Regina can say them out loud, it helps her come out of the fog.

“Yes. I. Do.” Regina enunciates each word with a beaming smile. “But first.” She grabs Emma’s face with both hands and gives her a kiss that’s been building for years-for Regina at least.

When they finally break apart, Emma looks drunk, which makes Regina smile;  _ at least I’ve still got it _ .

“Not that I’m complaining, Gi. But what was that for? Don’t take that the wrong way because I liked it. Obviously. I loved it. But usually you don’t kiss me like that, especially in places where people can see.”

Regina quickly scans the room and sighs in relief when she realizes no one is there, which causes Emma to chuckle. Regina just smiles when she realizes she has _her_ Emma back. She picks up their son and cradles him close as she carries him across the room and lays him in the hospital crib.

_ Finally _ she thinks as she crawls up next to Emma on the bed and looks at their beautiful baby boy, sleeping sounding in his hospital crib across the room. “I told you earlier, I missed you. It may have been only 10 minutes, but it felt like years for me.”

“What are you talking about, babe?” Emma asks with confusion written across her face.  _ Confusion and  _ **_love_ ** Regina thinks with a full heart. She hasn’t seen Emma look at her like this in what felt like years. Regina smiles and kisses Emma again, slower this time.

“I. Missed. You.” She articulates every word with a kiss.

Emma smiles and says, “Okay, Gi, I’ll play along. Why were you gone for years?”

“I went to…another dimension,” she says, suddenly unsure of her own memories.

“Another what?” Emma asks in confusion.

“Another dimension. Like, an alternative reality or something. We all existed there but it’s not like it is here. You were an only child. And your parents gave you up. They put you in some magical wardrobe thing and sent you to another realm. You grew up alone, without them. And then I adopted Henry and he found you 10 years later. He brought you to my house but it wasn’t good. We fought. A lot. But then we become allies or something and that slowly built into a tentative friendship. It wasn’t all terrible, but most of it broke my heart. It was like I knew who you were but you didn’t remember any of our life here. I guess it was because it wasn’t actually here,” she muses to herself. “Actually some of our adventures were fun. OH! I didn’t even tell you the weirdest part!”

“That wasn’t the weird part?” Emma asks.

Regina shakes her head, “We had magic. Like, what we see in movies, but real. We moved the moon, Em. I swear to God. THE FUCKING MOON! We went on a pirate ship and then fought Peter Pan and moved the moon. And then I was teaching you magic and I put you on a bridge and told you to figure it out. You had so much potential! I knew you could do it. I believed in you more than you did. So, I pushed you…just a little.” Emma raises an eyebrow and Regina continues, “I miiiiiiiight have started breaking the bridge with my own magic to make you save yourself…and then there was this moment of panic when the bridge went down and I didn’t know what to do. I freaked. You just disappeared. And then you were back. You brought the bridge back up with you and stopped right in front of me. I played it off like I knew you could do it but I was so scared. I wanted to hug you and never let go. You could have died!”

“You would’ve let me die?” Emma asks.

“Never! I always knew you had it in you,” Regina says with a smile.

“I have been known to be an overachiever,” Emma jokes.

Regina rolls her eyes but kisses Emma’s cheek and rests her head on Emma’s shoulder. “You know, I absorbed a death curse for you.”

“Really? And how was that?” Emma asks with a smirk.

“Shitty,” Regina deadpans. “It was called a death curse for a reason. But I guess you kind of made it up to me by taking on the Darkness.”

“What was this place? The Dark Curse, a Death Curse, the Darkness? Not really a place to raise kids, huh?”

Regina shakes her head, “You have no idea. Some things there were positively primeval. Oh! And you kind of saved me from a fire too.” She sees Emma start to say something and jumps in, “Don’t let it go to your head. You were not a fireman.”

“Fire. Person.” Emma enunciates.

Regina rolls her eyes and says, “You were also in cahoots with the man that started the fire, so you kind of owed it to me to save me, since it was your friend who started it.”

Emma shakes her head, “I’d save you anywhere, Gi.”

Regina smiles and entwines their hands together.

After a pause where they’re both lost in their own thoughts, “Sounds like we were a real pair of badasses,” Emma says with a smile.

“We were,” Regina says quietly, becoming very somber. “But we weren’t together. It was nothing like it is here. You weren’t you. I mean, you were, but you also weren’t. There was no us. We fought. A lot. You were actually marrying someone else. Captain Hook actually.”

At this, Emma laughs out loud, “Babe, now I know you were dreaming. You know I don’t sleep with guys. Ever. No way in Hell. Are you serious?”

Regina just shakes her head, “I know that, Em, but this place was different. You were different. Oh Em,” she starts and Emma can hear Regina’s heart breaking in those words. She pulls Regina closer as she continues. “It was so scary. You grew up alone. Your parents gave you up and you grew up in the foster system. You didn’t have your brother and sister. Hell, they weren’t even your family! They were strangers. Actually, your sister and your mom were the same age and were best friends. Yeah, I know. It was fucking crazy.” Emma chuckling at Regina’s profanity-which is saved for extreme circumstances. “I was older than your mother. I was forced to marry her father and become her step mother.”

“Like Cinderella?”

Regina shudders, “No, like Snow White.”

“Snow White?” Emma ponders, “You were the Evil Queen?” Regina sits up straighter, every time she’s heard that it hasn’t ended well and she’s worried her Emma will do the same. Instead she scoffs, “Gi, you’re a lot of things, but evil is certainly not one of them. Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want me to call Archie?”

Regina shakes her head and grabs on tightly to Emma, burying her face in the crook of Emma’s neck, hiding herself in a waterfall of blonde curls. “It was awful Emma. The stories you had, the look in your eyes; you were so closed off. I couldn’t even talk to you, it was terrible.”

“Shhh,” Emma shushes as she rubs Regina’s back, “It wasn’t real. It was just a dream. I’m right here. Your family is right here. You said it felt like you’ve been gone for years, but you’ve been here the entire time. It was just a dream, babe. You haven’t missed anything. We have to wait until tomorrow to bring Wim home. Henry and Isa are with Ruby again tonight and August will bring them by in the morning when he picks them up so Ruby can get to work. Everything here is real. That dream never happened.”

Regina turns her head and looks toward the mirror she can see across the room,  _ Oh it was real. It had to be. _ She thinks of the other Regina.  _ I hope she gets a do-over just like I am. _

“You’re okay now,” Emma says as she continues to soothe her wife. “You’re here with us. We love you.”

“I love you too. So much.”

Xxx

Back in Storybrooke, Regina finds herself once again in front of the Sheriff’s Station. She looks around and tries to figure out where she falls in her timeline. She is walking back to her car when she hears, “Regina!”

She freezes but slowly finds herself turning around to see Emma running out of the station and across the road to her.

“Hey, listen, I’m sorry about yesterday. Henry and I should have told you and I’m sorry about that.”

Regina tries to figure out when she is. She looks at Emma’s outfit,  _ it could be the same day that I left. But all she ever wears is that damned red jacket so I can never tell. _ Regina looks at her own outfit and believes she’s in the same spot on her timeline as when she left.

“Regina?” Emma calls quietly. “Are you okay?”

Regina nods, “I suppose so, Miss Swan.”

Emma holds up her hands, “I know you’re upset Regina, but I really am sorry. It won’t happen again.”

She waves a hand like she’s wiping away the problem, “I’m no longer upset by that.”

“What? Why?” Emma asks in confusion.

“I know, logically, that this just happened and I should be upset by it, but it feels like this happened days ago.”

Emma tilts her head to the side like a confused puppy. Regina wished she didn’t find it so damned endearing. “What do you mean, Regina?”

“I swapped timelines with another Regina from an alternate universe.”

“Huh?”

Regina rolls her eyes and hopes the fondness doesn’t show through, “It seems that another Regina took my place here, while I took her place in her own timeline.”

“Geez,” Emma says as she runs a hand through her hair, “time travel is real too?”

With a shake of her head Regina says, “Not time travel, Emma. This place was a different reality. Most of the same people but different stories to tell.”

Emma sizes Regina up, staring intently. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine, Emma. Why do you keep asking?” Regina wonders exasperatedly.

“Because that’s the second time you’ve called me Emma in 30 seconds,” Emma deadpans. Regina looks down at her shoes, embarrassed. “Hey,” she calls quietly, waiting for Regina to look up at her before she continues. “Do you want to talk about it?”

In a non-Regina-move, she shrugs. “I’m not sure I can wrap my own head around it,” she says softly.

Emma chuckles, “Well, maybe we should talk about it over some drinks.” There’s a pause before Emma asks, “Wait, if there was another Regina here, why didn’t anyone know? I don’t think it’s such a stretch to get us to believe that she was from another reality. Maybe we could’ve helped.”

Regina feels the memory of her double crying in her study, begging Emma to listen to her. Her stomach sinks and she says, “She tried,” quietly. She clears her throat and straightens her spine, “She was here from the moment the curse was cast and spent 30 years stuck here.”

Emma’s eyes bulge, “30 years and she never tried-. Wait, in the study that first night, that was her?”

Regina nods.

“Shit, she did tell me. I thought you were just drunk and spewing nonsense. Then, when I realized the curse was real, I thought you just wanted to go back to the Enchanted Forest. Why didn’t she tell me again after magic came back?”

Regina shrugs, “I’m not sure. She really struggled with being here. I can understand that since her reality had her surrounded with so much love and family, and it’s quite lonely here.” She says it quietly and looks away, down the road toward the forest.

“Regina…” Emma starts.

Regina holds up a hand, “I think I just need some time to process everything. I currently have three sets of memories and I can’t quite tell which are mine and which are not.”

“Sounds like it was a curse,” Emma muses. “If you want, I have only one current set of memories since you helped me work through the memories I had after Pan. I also have a bottle of whiskey, maybe I can help you process what I know.”

Regina thinks on it. She really shouldn’t, she’s not sure how to act around this Emma. Yet, she wants to have her close right now. She sighs, defeatedly, but there’s a small smile on her face. “I’d like that.”

Emma smiles and Regina has to force herself to act normal. That smile looks so much like the smile she shared with the other Emma after Wim was born. It makes Regina’s heart skip a beat.  _ You can still find happiness you know _ she hears the other Regina’s words echo back to her. “Great!” Emma says. She freezes and checks her pockets before saying, “Okay, I have everything I need. Wanna go now?”

Regina nods, “Sure.”

Emma smiles again, “Okay, so tell me, what was I like in this other reality?”

This causes Regina to chuckle, “You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

“I don’t know if I remember it all,” Regina lies, hoping she won’t have to tell Emma about their alternates’ relationship. She can barely process it herself. But she does have two other sets up memories in her brain right now as well. Perhaps Emma can help her figure out what belongs and what doesn’t.

“Oh come on, Regina. You may have other memories floating around, but you remember something.”

Regina smiles, “well, I suppose I could tell you some things.”

Emma smiles back, “As long as you don’t forget about me.”


End file.
